Victorious
by StakeTheHeart
Summary: So here are the One Shots for the Seven Days of Victorious Prompts. They're not related to each other but I figured I could just stick them all in one place. Enjoy! Rating for Ch 5.
1. A Few Hours

**It looks like I'll have to start this off. I plan on doing a one shot a day for this Seven Days of Victorious Prompts thing because I really miss the show. So, here's the first one. Hopefully there are others out there who will do one at the least and three at the most. That seems fair, right?**

* * *

The digital clock at Jade's bedside advanced a minute and she sighed, glaring at it. She had tried to get Tori to come over but she wouldn't. She wouldn't even allow Jade to go over to her house either. No amount of asking or offering to tutor her made a difference. Tori was too wise to Jade's schemes to agree to that. All the separation was due to a big test Tori had coming up for her math class and she was determined to study. She wasn't the best at math. She promised that they could spend time together if she was just left alone to study. How long did she need though? Jade groaned and closed her eyes, spreading out on her bed. She missed her girlfriend immensely. The excessive studying was killing their alone time. Tori told her, warned her, not to bug in any way if she wanted her to get done faster. But she couldn't help it. It was in her nature to disobey and do what she wanted so she reached for her phone.

**You done yet?**

Jade waited a few minutes, her phone resting on her stomach as she tapped out a beat on it.

_I told you not to bug_

She smirked to herself.

**I'm not, I just wanted to check on you**

_I'm not finished yet_

**Can't I just check on my beautiful girlfriend and see how she's doing?**

_I guess…_

Jade knew Tori was most likely blushing right now. She liked when Jade complimented her and when she mentioned their relationship status.

**So how are you?**

_I'm fine_

**Good**

_I need to study now, ok?_

**You haven't even asked me how I am. Don't you want to know?**

Jade could practically hear her letting out a sigh.

_How are you?_

**Not so good. I miss you. Can you please come over?**

_Jade, I can't. I told you_

**But Tor…**

With that text Jade knew she was getting to her. The reply took a little longer this time. Probably because Tori had to fight to stay strong. She was a sucker for a softer, sweeter, version of her usually blunt girlfriend. Jade knew full well and took advantage.

_Just a little longer J. Please_

Damn, and now she was using her own weakness against her. Jade grit her teeth but resolved to give her another hour. So far she had two since the end of school.

**Ok. Work fast or I'm just going to go over there anyway**

Jade had hoped Tori would take the threat literally but she easily called Jade's bluff. It took a little more to cow Tori now that she knew how much of a softy Jade could be.

_Sure you will_

**Dammit Vega, I hate you**

_Sure you do_

**I do**

_Stop pouting and wait. Love you :{)_

Jade rolled her eyes and grumbled but replied. Those words coming from Tori never failed to bring a comfortable warmth to her heart.

**Love you too cheeseball**

The kissy emoticon was sent back and a small smile fought its way onto her lips. She loved kisses from Tori in any form. She dropped her hands to her sides, phone still in hand. She had to find something to occupy her. She did have her own homework to do. With a resigned sigh she got to work. An hour later and she was done. She glanced at her phone and wondered if Tori was finished. She would have texted if she was, wouldn't she? She could have forgotten though. Tori did forget things often. No, she said she would let her know. She assured her when they parted at school. Jade decided to check anyway.

**Is now a good time?**

_No_

Well that was quick. Was she anticipating the possibility that Jade would persist or was her phone just nearby and she couldn't ignore it? Jade didn't know and didn't care.

**Oh, well, how about now?**

_Jade, that was a few seconds difference!_

**So?**

_Now is not a good time and neither is a few seconds later_

**How about a few minutes later?**

…_Jade_

**Come on, Tori. You know you wanna come over. I'm way more fun than learning useless equations**

_This is important_

Jade would have been offended had she not known how much she meant to Tori. But she did so she just worked harder to change her mind. Time to play the guilt card.

**And I'm not?**

_The difference between you and these equations in terms of complexity are about the same, but when it comes to how well I know them, well, I don't. I know all about you but I can't seem to grasp how these work. Do you know why?_

Jade didn't know where she was getting at so she asked.

**No. Thrill me with your knowledge**

_Because I've spent day and night studying every inch of you when I should have spent at least some of that time studying this_

Jade's brows rose at that and a smirk of amusement curled at her lips.

**Then it makes sense that you should be over here taking the test to prove that**

_I know I'll pass with flying colors_

**You're confident**

_You know I will too_

**Now you're being cocky**

_No, I know it for a fact_

**Prove it**

Jade waited for the reply, hoping she wound Tori up enough to make that irrational and impulsive side of her win out.

_I know what you're trying to do_

Or maybe not. Jade growled her irritation.

**Vega!**

_Don't get mad at me. I told you I know you, which includes your tricks_

Jade grumbled and decided she would have to play dirty. Literally.

**Don't you want me there? My mouth on your neck, nibbling, biting. My hands sliding down your pants and my lips kissing up your leg…**

She had to make sure Tori was still paying attention. Sometimes when she tried that tactic Tori ignored any incoming texts because she knew she would cave.

**Then I'd laugh at your scissor underwear**

_You gave me those!_

Oh, so she was still paying attention. Jade laughed at the memory of buying them. She thought it was a hilarious joke. The underwear had a picture of a pair of scissors with the word 'Me' right under them. Tori was beet red with embarrassment when Jade was buying them since she had whispered in her ear that she wanted to see her wear them. Not to mention she hinted at doing what it suggested.

**I know. I'm just teasing you**

_Of course you are. When are you not_

**It's fun to tease you. In all ways. But seriously, are you wearing them?**

…_m__aybe_

Jade bit her bottom lip.

**Now I have to come over**

_No, stay there!_

**Fine, you come over here then**

_I can't!_

**But I'm all alone…**

_No_

**In bed…**

_Jade_

**Naked**

Jade had to wait again for Tori to answer. Her smirk widened.

_Yeah right_

What the hell? Tori was really playing hard to get. And not her lame attempts at it either. Jade, frustrated now, wasn't even close to giving up. She stripped hurriedly and laid down flat on her bed in only her underwear. She draped her arm just so over her chest and held up her phone right above her in her free hand, taking a picture of herself in all her nude glory. She sent it and then threw on her bra while she waited. Minutes later the reply flashed on screen and she quickly opened it.

_wjayqgywpkdtpjdksycjzrhonf_

She laughed at the nonsense that was Tori's spluttering translated through her trembling fingers.

**Did I give you a heart attack?**

_Jade…_

**Come over Tor**

_Nooooo! Oh chiz. You wasted so much of my time texting me!_

**So you might as well just get over here**

…_f__ine. You better be waiting for me like that_

**Can do. Hurry**

Not even ten minutes later Tori came barging into Jade's house. She waited dutifully on her bed, a smile of triumph on her face, as she listened to Tori stomp her way upstairs. She threw open the door and stood there, tense. Her brown eyes were dark with agitation and desire.

"Well hi there," Jade greeted where she was laying provocatively on her side. Tori just slammed her door, locked it, and then rushed over to Jade's bed. She slipped from her clothes as she went.

"Why are you so difficult?" Tori demanded, voice dipping. She pushed Jade on her back and their lips met. The kiss was rough and forced a groan from Jade.

"You like it," she replied, voice husky with need. Their lips locked again and Tori's tongue briefly stroked hers before she pulled away.

"I do, but it's still annoying," she huffed out. Jade only smiled and traced down Tori's stomach to slip her index finger under the waistband of the very pair of underwear she wanted to see on her girlfriend.

"Those look hot on you. Mind if I remove them to do as suggested?" she questioned, meeting Tori's eyes with her own quickly darkening blue-green that now almost looked gray in their intensity. Tori nodded but stopped Jade when she began to comply.

"I better not fail my test, West. If I do, you're going to make it up to me somehow," she warned. The force in her voice only served to turn Jade on more than she already was, but she knew Tori meant it.

"You won't. You know more than you think," Jade responded sincerely, burying her hands in Tori's hair and pulling her down to kiss her with urgency. Tori took her sincere words to heart and thanked her loving girlfriend by returning her love. It wasn't just in moments like now when Jade said things like that. She said them all the time, and Tori knew she meant it every single time.

"Really?" she replied, panting the word in Jade's mouth.

"Really. Now apply your extensive knowledge of me so I can show you just how much I know about you," Jade purred, her hands running down Tori's back before gripping at her hips. Tori grinned and let Jade pull her in closer.

"No problem," she agreed, confident. She kissed the smirk right off Jade's lips. Her hands began finding and exploiting every sensitive spot she knew of. Tori passed with flying colors, as she guaranteed. In fact, so did Jade. The next day Tori passed her math test, not quite with flying colors, but good enough for the exchange of spending a night wrapped in Jade's arms.


	2. Cold

With High School over most of the gang split up to pursue their dreams or travel. Jade and Tori ended up in New York where Jade was trying out for broadway and Tori's new record company was located there as well as the college she wanted. Jade made do with the same college. Now that they were in the same city they decided to get an apartment together. Back in high school, the closer they got to graduation the closer they became. The last time Beck and Jade broke up in their junior year Tori was there for her, like she always was. The difference that time was that Jade let her in. Sure, Tori wasn't perfect, but Jade saw a lot of trust in her and knew that Tori was the safest person she could allow to know all of her. The pop star-to-be didn't disappoint.

In return Jade laid off purposely trying to hurt her. She offered the same companionship and trust which Tori accepted rather fast. So the decision to live together wasn't a drastic one considering they were already so comfortable with each other. They worked hard and studied all the time in between. When days off were afforded them they happily took advantage. They went out to eat and slowly mapped out the city together, both on foot and in Jade's car. But now winter had struck and Jade was less inclined to go out. She hated the cold because it was hard for her to stay warm. Her internal heat seemed to just dissipate into the air. Tori, however, was a walking heater with heat to spare. She loved winter and the approach of Christmas, which reminded her that they had to get shopping done as soon as possible.

"Jade," Tori called to her best friend in a sing song manner, prancing closer to lean over the back of the couch and wrap her arms loosely around Jade's shoulders. She liked that she could call Jade her best friend, especially since they had such a bumpy start. They couldn't stand each other before but now they spent all their spare time together. Jade rolled her eyes but kept them focused on the script in her hands. She had lines to memorize. It was a small part but it was something. Once she proved her worth she would get better roles.

"Tori," she replied simply. She turned a page and then glanced at her.

"Let's go out and do something. We have shopping to do but that can wait. I really want to go to that huge park," she suggested, bright smile blinding Jade.

"I want to stay in," she responded, reluctant to go.

"You just don't want to get caught up in the snow," Tori pointed out.

"Well, yeah. So what? I thought I told you I don't like being cold," she grumbled, going back to the script in her hand. Tori knew, both figuratively and literally. Even though Jade seemed cold, she wasn't. It was a defense mechanism Tori figured out while others couldn't. She saw the warm side to Jade that everyone else missed. Currently Jade was wrapped in a blanket with an empty mug on the coffee table. She wore a long sleeve and pajama pants. She even wore the Christmas socks Tori gave her last year. Tori smiled at them and then rested her head on Jade's shoulder.

"Please," she dragged out. Jade let out an exasperated sigh and dropped the script on her lap.

"Sorry, I have some savasana to do," she mumbled in a deadpan. Tori stood straight to put her hands on her hips. She knew Jade was plain teasing her now, and seconds later, she caught the telltale smirk on her lips.

"**You** don't do Yoga! **I** do! And that isn't funny!" she stated, crossing her arms. Jade laughed anyway and tilted her head back to see Tori better.

"Will you shut up if I say yes?" she questioned. Tori brightened quickly.

"Yep," she said with a nod.

"Fine. Let me get ready," Jade conceded, wondering why she always gave in. Tori grinned but held back celebrating so that Jade wouldn't take it back. She followed Jade into their shared room and began pulling out the clothes she was going to wear while Jade did the same. She set them on the bed and then began to strip right there. Tori turned around just in time to get an eyeful.

"Jade! Respect for other people!" she shouted, hastily covering her eyes and turning away.

"What other people? I only see you here," Jade said with a chuckle. She was far bolder than Tori and didn't care about nudity. She couldn't care less if she saw Tori naked either. Tori on the other hand didn't like to be seen or see Jade in such a state. She knew it was just another thing Jade liked to tease her about. Since she confided in Jade that she liked girls Jade went out of her way to playfully tease her. Sometimes it would be comments about girls they passed while out but there would be other times she herself would flirt with Tori. She didn't take it seriously but sometimes it felt like she meant it. Jade was the type of person to like who she liked so gender didn't matter. She wouldn't be surprised if Jade was open to it.

Having such comfort in each other only strengthened when Jade told her she didn't mind sharing a bed, especially since the room wasn't that big to begin with. It was a little awkward at first, what with Tori's need to cuddle and Jade's lack of clothes in the summer, but they got used to it. Jade agreed to at least wear undergarments so that when Tori subconsciously searched for her to cuddle she didn't get a handful of something she didn't want to. Jade meanwhile had to put up with her touchy tendency and started to expect the Latina pressed to her. She grew to need her presence when she slept, as sickening as it was to realize that. They literally shared each other's space and much more, but nudity was still something Tori couldn't get over.

"Oh come on, Tori. It isn't anything you haven't already seen," Jade replied, a smirk quirking her lips and brow raised.

"Just hurry up," Tori groaned, eyes still covered and a blush on her cheeks.

"Am I at least a turn on for you?" Jade questioned, wanting to mess with her a little longer before leaving her alone. She saw Tori swallow and shake her head, indicating that she couldn't answer. Not that she didn't want to answer, she was just too speechless to manage it.

"Fine. Then I'll go take my shower. At least that turns on when I'm naked," she commented. Tori removed her hands to shoot Jade a glare. Her temper made her completely forget that Jade didn't have a stitch on her. Her eyes widened and flicked over her form quickly before she blushed harder and moved to fall face first on the bed. She mumbled something Jade thought was along the lines of telling her to stop being a tease but she wasn't sure. The fun of embarrassing Tori never got old.

"Ok, ok. I'm done. Be right back. Get dressed," she said, smacking Tori's behind on her way to the bathroom. Tori yelped in surprise and sat up. Jade laughed heartily. Their comfort levels were pretty high up there. Once Jade was ready and wrapped in layers of clothes Tori dragged her into the biting air outside. Tori insisted on walking so that they had more time to talk and decide on what to eat later. She made sure to keep Jade warm with an arm draped around her heavily bundled body. Jade was grateful for the shared warmth and was more inclined to stay out longer as long as she remained warm, which is why Tori made sure to get her a coffee. Jade followed Tori, sipping at her drink slowly to make it last while Tori babbled on. It used to bug her before but now she liked watching her animated friend talk. She sometimes watched more than heard so Tori had to repeat herself. The longer they walked the far too familiar scenery was not lost on Jade who began to lose patience now that her coffee was gone.

"Tori, do you even know where you're going?" she asked. She felt like they were going in circles.

"Umm, yeah. Of course I do. I know this street like the back of my hand," she replied, avoiding Jade's skeptical gaze. After ten more minutes of wandering Jade knew for sure that they were getting turned around.

"I know this street like the back of my hand," Jade mocked in that way that sounded nothing like Tori. She gave Jade a weak glare for it but Jade ignored her.

"Yeah right. For future reference, this is the back of your hand, this is your elbow, and this is your ass!" she continued in her own, harsh, tone while jabbing her finger with each indication. Tori batted her hand away.

"It could be worse," she pointed out. She was already used to Jade's impatience and short temper so she wasn't concerned that Jade could get worse if they took any longer to get to their destination.

"Don't say that. It's a jinx," Jade told her, slightly irritated that she didn't upset Tori. She was tired of being out so long in the cold. To make matters worse it began to snow. See, a jinx.

"This is just the right amount of shitty," she remarked sullenly. Tori's smile widened and she tipped back her head to catch snowflakes on her tongue. Jade watched her, thinking that her friend was too cute. Like a puppy kind of cute. Jade's frown worsened with the thought. Suddenly, Tori brightened with an idea.

"How about I ask for directions?" she suggested.

"How about we use Google Maps?" Jade retorted, digging for her phone, but Tori stopped her.

"No. Part of the adventure is finding your way around on your own. It's not like one of your video games where you always have a map handy. We can do this," Tori told her. Jade bristled at the jab towards her past time but let it slide.

"I can turn the map feature off sometimes," she mumbled, a little petulantly. Tori wasn't listening though. She had just spotted a coffee shop and rushed towards it, pulling Jade along. She hoped she could calm her with more coffee while she found out how to get to the park. They entered the warm atmosphere of the shop and Jade hung back, sitting at one of the small tables while Tori went to get her a coffee, a hot chocolate for herself, and ask for directions while she was there. It wasn't long before some guy sat down at the table. Jade was already prepared for what she knew would happen. She fixed him with a glare but he just smiled.

"Wow. It's a beautiful day today. But maybe that's just because of you," he said, his very words making Jade sick.

"Yeah, thanks, now move along," she spat, shoving him almost out of his chair to get him moving. He stumbled but caught himself and walked away with a severely offended expression. Tori came back at that moment with a cup in each hand.

"Who was that?" she asked.

"A nobody," Jade answered, standing to take her coffee in one hand and filling Tori's now empty hand with her other. She looked to Jade questioningly but she just smiled in return and kissed Tori's nose.

"Let's go babe," she muttered, not bothering to keep the term of endearment quiet. Tori blushed, thoroughly confused now, until she saw where Jade's eyes had flicked to. She turned her head just enough to see the guy she had asked about. He was waiting in line with a scowl on his face and his hands in his pockets. He glared at Jade before looking away. Everything became clear now. Jade pulled her closer and wrapped her arm around Tori's waist to lead her out into the cold again. Her arm didn't drop once they were outside but Tori said nothing about it.

"So did you get the directions or did I have to deal with that idiot for nothing?" Jade remarked, glancing at Tori.

"Oh! Yeah, I got it. We were kinda going the right way except you know that street where we saw that funny sweater? We should have turned left instead of right-" she began, but Jade just rolled her eyes and let out a grunt of mild agitation.

"Ok, don't talk about it. Just take us there," she ordered. Tori sighed and gave her friend a scolding frown, her breath visible in the air, while Jade took a drink of her coffee, unaffected. Tori slipped from her arm and sped up a little, forcing Jade to speed up with an inquisitive quirk of her brow. In a few blocks they found the park they had been looking for.

"Finally!" Jade exclaimed, throwing up her hands. Her coffee had been finished off a while ago and she was starting to get antsy. She shifted her scarf and tucked her hands in her pockets to look for her gloves since it was getting colder. Tori pulled her beanie over her ears more securely, her chestnut brown locks helping to add warmth. She saw Jade searching her pockets and smiled. She always forgot her gloves so Tori had a habit of remembering to grab them for her. She pulled them from her pocket and held them out. The small but sincerely thankful smile worked its way onto Jade's face when she took them and it made Tori's own smile appear. The little things like that were what made dealing with Jade's temper worth it.

"So why are we here?" Jade asked. Tori took her by the hand and rushed through the park until they were at the large pond in the center. It was frozen over. Tori released Jade's hand and dug in the snow for a small rock that was mostly smooth.

"Ok, remember that one day when you were taking a long time to rehearse? You spent the whole day in our room. While you did that I made up this game," she began excitedly.

"And that is?" Jade inquired. Tori walked closer to the pond and crouched down, searching for something.

"First, you find a noticeable marker, like, right there. Do you see that crack way out over there?" she pointed out with her finger. Jade looked for it and found it.

"Yeah," she confirmed.

"You take your rock and try to slide it, not toss it, across the ice. Whoever gets the closest, or even lands on top of it, wins," she explained.

"Isn't that basically that game where-" Jade tried to explain, but Tori jumped to her feet to clamp a hand over Jade's mouth.

"Shoosh! No it isn't! I made it up!" she yelled dramatically, a playful smile on her face. Jade huffed out a breath through her nose and narrowed her eyes. Tori let her go and dug in the snow again for another rock. She knew Jade wouldn't want to touch the snow. When she found a good one, maybe even better than hers, she held it up until Jade opened her hand with a roll of her eyes and Tori placed it in her palm.

"Ok, I'll go first. You need to get it just right," she mumbled, crouched over and focusing. She swung her arm back and forth, testing the power she would put into it. Eventually she let it fly and it skid across to pass the crack by a little.

"Now you go," Tori said, gesturing to the pond. Jade groaned but stepped up to slide her rock across the ice. She let it fly haphazardly and it skid across to knock into Tori's which made it rebound back to stop at the crack.

"I won," she stated, smirking at Tori who stood with her mouth agape.

"Replay, replay!" she demanded.

"No. I'm cold and you already made us walk around so long. I'm going home. You can stay if you want," Jade disagreed, turning to leave. Tori pouted but jogged to catch up with her quick strides. She hooked her arm with Jade's and she pulled Tori closer for warmth.

"The snow isn't even that bad," Tori observed, catching more on her tongue. Jade ignored her but her eyes widened when more snow began to fall.

"You suck," she groused, turning her piercing glare on Tori who smiled sheepishly. They hurried home after that and made it in right when the strong winds began to pick up. They entered the apartment with snow still falling off them. Jade was quick to get into her warm pajamas while Tori turned on the heater before getting dressed too. She came back into the living room to see Jade had turned on their gaming console. It always helped her feel better as well as siphon off her anger on something other than people. She sat on the couch and reclined against a pillow propped up at the arm. She tossed Tori's fuzzy blue blanket printed with stars over her just as a shiver visibly wracked her frame. A deep set scowl was on her face. Tori felt sympathetic for her so she decided to offer warm by climbing over her. Jade didn't say anything. She only frowned and moved her head so that she could still see the screen. Tori chuckled fondly at her ability to devote all her attention to a game. Almost nothing could keep her from the screen once she was invested in it.

Tori knew because she tried and failed to distract her. She snuggled in under the blanket with Jade so that she was pressed to her side, her arm thrown over her stomach and legs tangled. She rested her head on Jade's chest, her heartbeat instantly thumping in her ear. Jade patiently waited for her to get comfortable with her arms held up, controller in hand and eyes still on the screen. It didn't bother her when Tori did that seeing as she benefited from her warmth. Even if she was taking up her space. She wouldn't admit it but it was comfortable to have Tori's whole frame pressed to hers. She felt safe. Bullets flew, enemies dropped, and curses fell from Jade's lips already. Tori grinned and inhaled the subtle scent that was Jade. The gamer cussed at the screen in triumph and set her arms down on either side of Tori, the vibration of the controller rumbling on her side. Her mind began to wander as she thought about the game Jade was playing. She often entertained herself with random things, just enjoying being with Jade more than anything.

"Hey Jade? Did you know in the first game you start in a hospital, the second in a hotel, and the third at the character's home," she remarked.

"Ok, so?" Jade murmured, her brows furrowing as she tried to figure out why that mattered.

"They all start out sounding the same. See? H**o**tel, h**o**me…ho-spital," she began only to realize her mistake and attempt to change the last word to match the others. Jade laughed at the lame attempt and glanced down at Tori who was burying her face in Jade's chest to avoid the shame. This was why she didn't let her stupidly random thoughts out.

"Not the same," Jade said with a shake of her head.

"I know that now!" Tori fumed.

"Fail," Jade added, amusement in her voice. Tori just groaned.

"Well they all started with an 'Ho' then," she mumbled. With Tori talking Jade couldn't really ignore the way her lips moved against her skin.

"Having fun there?" she asked next, just to point out the obvious. Tori only then realized her predicament and quickly turned her head so that she was laying on Jade in a more appropriate manner. She was beet red again with embarrassment. Jade laughed at her, the light sound helping to make Tori feel better. Jade went back to playing and Tori shifted enough to watch her. She always liked to cuddle with Jade and just watch her play. Sometimes her eyes would be on the screen and other times they would be on Jade's face. Her expressions were adorable. Right now her sculpted brows were pulled down over her nose which was scrunched with the snarl of her bared teeth. She got so into it and Tori never tired of watching.

"Dammit, that's gonna be a problem," Jade muttered, eyes intense. Tori looked back at the screen to see the character fumble around until Jade was growling expletives.

"Why can't I ever figure out this stupid problem?!" she shouted.

"I think the problem isn't the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem," Tori spoke up, her lips brushing Jade's skin again.

"Quiet Jack. I'm concentrating," Jade snapped, her eyes never leaving the screen. Tori giggled and tightened her hold on Jade.

"Just block me out then," she countered. Jade's jaw clenched, the flexing muscles visible from where Tori laid on her chest.

"I can't," she responded honestly, eyes narrowed once more, but not with anger. She hadn't meant to blurt that out but she couldn't take it back now.

"Why not?" Tori pressed, looking up at her curiously.

"Just shut up," Jade demanded brusquely. That was a clear sign that Jade was rushing to correct a wrong and now Tori needed to know why.

"Make me," she retorted, pushing up so that she blocked the screen. Her sudden daring response caught Jade's attention and their eyes locked. Behind Tori, Jade could hear her character crying out as he met his demise at the hands of his enemy, but for once, she didn't care. She set the controller aside and cupped Tori's face in her now warm hands so that she could pull her into a heated kiss. Their eyes closed and their lips moved in sync. It was like that was what they were waiting for the year and a half they'd been living together, yet neither wanted to be the first to admit it. It felt so right. Tori straddled Jade's hips so that she was more comfortable and lost her hands in Jade's hair.

She groaned when Jade's tongue slid tentatively over her lips. She opened her mouth to let Jade in. Their tongues met in a flourish and it was Jade's turn to moan. Her hands found their way down Tori's lithe body to wrap around her. One hand slipped down to drag up her shirt and press her hand flat to Tori's hot skin. The other fisted the hair at the back of her head, encouraging Tori to fight back. She did, her hands gripping Jade by the shoulders and her tongue forcing Jade's out of her mouth to continue in hers. They only parted for a short break and then went right back to it. When they parted a second time Tori rested her forehead on Jade's and smiled deliriously with her eyes still closed. A satisfied smile curled Jade's lips.

"I didn't know you were such a good kisser. Please tell me we'll be doing that again," she mumbled, the timbre of her voice making a shiver run down Tori's spine.

"I think we'll definitely be doing that again," Tori whispered, her eyes opening just as Jade's did. She kissed her gently and then smiled at her before scooting back into place. A smile stuck to Jade's face as she looked for the controller. She found it and woke it up before unpausing the game and playing. Neither said anything more about the kiss and comfortable silence fell between them. The only sounds were from the game. Jade played an hour or two while Tori watched and then she turned it off. She set aside the controller and prepared to get up but Tori wouldn't move. She looked down to see that she had fallen asleep. Jade rolled her eyes but scooped Tori into her arms as she stood. She carried her to their room and set her in bed then climbed in next to her. She was the one to pull Tori close and cling to her instead of the other way around. She curled against her and kissed the back of her neck.

"Good night, Tori," she whispered.

"Night Jade," Tori's sleepy voice replied. Jade threaded her fingers with Tori's and gave her hand a squeeze. She let out a content sigh before following Tori into sleep. Whatever happened today couldn't be taken back. They didn't talk about it, but it wasn't needed. Their friendship had simply become something more and neither of them were going to question it.


	3. Compromise

**Jori friendship isn't as good as Jori romance, but since the last one slowly morphed from a best friend relationship into a romantic one I decided to try again. If only to see if I could actually do it. I'm happy to say I could, but it wasn't easy keeping these two platonic.**

* * *

Tori quickly got ready for her day out with Jade. It was weird but she was actually friends with her. They found a truce and decided to stick to it. What good was fighting anyway? They both had the same group of friends and their constant disagreements created a rift between them all. Tori was the first to admit to being sick of it. She had seen how easily they could get along so it couldn't be too hard to be civil most of the time instead of the other way around. Surprisingly, Jade agreed with her for once. Or at all. But she had seen the potential too and that was really all that mattered. So now they were going to try hanging out alone. The only problem was they couldn't agree on where to go.

Tori wanted to go to an art museum in an attempt to get Jade into it. She liked it and she saw that Jade must have some talent for it too because she sketched a lot. It was more of a spare time thing but Tori could tell it was a hobby she enjoyed. Meanwhile, Jade wanted to go to some science exhibit where, on top of all the other science things, visitors could have a hands on experience with animals. Tori was not a fan of creepy crawlies and critters, besides maybe a few pets, but Jade loved them. She said that Tori would like them too if she would only get experience with them. Yet again they were at a crossroads, so when Tori waited for Jade outside she didn't know what they decided on. Jade pulled up to her house and Tori got in.

"So, where are we going?" she asked, first thing.

"Both," Jade answered, not looking over at her. Tori's brows rose in minor surprise.

"Are you actually settling a disagreement?" she asked with some surprise. Jade flashed her a smirk as she began to drive.

"Are you shocked?" she answered with a question.

"No…well…yes," Tori admitted.

"If we're going to try this friend thing then I have to try just as much as you, don't I?" she continued.

"Yes," Tori confirmed, smiling with relief that the day was starting out good.

"Well now I'm trying," Jade concurred.

"Cool. Good to hear," Tori said, her spirits rising.

"But now I have a new question. Which one first?" Jade questioned.

"I'm fine either way," Tori told her.

"Then let's start with the more interesting of the two, which is my choice," Jade remarked.

"Hey, I thought you said you wouldn't tease me!" Tori exclaimed.

"I said I wouldn't tease you as much and that's all you're going to get," Jade allowed. Tori pouted and crossed her arms. Jade glanced over at her and laughed.

"Loosen up, Vega. I'm only joking," she said, reaching over to shove Tori playfully. Tori looked at her to catch the small smile on Jade's face. She really was just joking.

"Wow. **T****he** Jade West, joking with **me**, Tori Vega. Is the world going to end now?" she quipped in return. Jade just shook her head.

"It might as well have ended when we decided on becoming friends. It hasn't though and this isn't too bad so maybe we're doing something right," she mentioned. Tori nodded.

"Maybe," she agreed. The rest of the drive was silent and they didn't start talking again until they got out and Tori saw that Jade had taken them to the museum first. She was seconds from pointing it out when Jade beat her to it.

"Don't start with me. Just hurry up and get walking," she demanded, pushing her towards the entrance. Tori hopped up and down in excitement and then grabbed Jade by the wrist before taking off. Once they were inside she scurried from one work of art to the next. There were all kinds of art and Jade actually liked some but hadn't said it out loud while Tori made it known which ones she favored. Halfway through Tori glanced at Jade who was standing in front of an abstract piece that took a while to understand.

"Are you having fun?" she asked uncertainly, a hand on Jade's upper arm. She was standing with her hip cocked and her arms crossed, a frown on her face.

"Actually, yeah. Why?" she replied.

"You don't look too happy to be here," Tori told her.

"What do you want me to do, smile all the time?" Jade demanded.

"You could. At least once in a while," Tori responded.

"Ok, fine. Are you happy now?" Jade shot back, attempting a smile.

"That's not even a smile," Tori denied.

"Is too," Jade retorted.

"You winced," Tori corrected.

"That's my smile," Jade grumbled. Tori sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Ugh, ok," she groaned her acceptance. They finished looking at the art and Jade made an attempt to mention the ones she liked, just to get that horrible frown off Tori's face. Her blinding smile was no better but Jade was more used to a disgustingly happy Tori than a depressingly sad one. Tori saw that she was trying and was more than happy. They left and stopped somewhere to eat before continuing on to the exhibit. When they got there Jade practically lit up. It was an odd sight for Tori but she liked seeing the change in the otherwise moody girl. She had to adopt a fast paced stride to keep up with Jade. She had a fact or two for almost every section they stopped at. Tori listened in silence, amazed at Jade's extensive knowledge on the subject. It was fascinating. So, because of the vast change, she walked around with a little smile on her face while she watched Jade's attempt at a smile become an actual one. Soon they made it to the animals and Jade was eager to handle them all. The first stop was amphibians. Tori was not as enthused.

"Come on. How can you not want to touch them?" Jade questioned like it was a hard thing to understand.

"I've felt one before and I didn't like it. It was weird. They just aren't my thing," Tori answered, giving the frogs a disgusted look. Jade laughed at the expression.

"Well I had to look at weird art so you have to touch weird things," Jade insisted, grabbing Tori by the hand and pulling her over. The handler at the station explained the two finger touch rule and Jade was quick to put it to use while Tori was gripping her own two fingers of her right hand like she could protect them from the inevitable.

"Whoa, dude. Feel it! It's so soft!" Jade exclaimed. Tori made a face but complied. With Jade watching she touched the frog which hopped a little and made her yank her hand back.

"Oh that's gross," she commented, resisting the urge to wipe her hand on her pants. She was saved when they were given hand sanitizer and wet wipes.

"Yes!" Jade suddenly exclaimed, seeing a tank with snakes in them. She ran over and Tori followed reluctantly. Jade reached in to feel the rough texture of a lizard's scales and then waited for the handler to turn away when another visitor asked a question. While he was distracted she picked up a snake to hold in her hands with care.

"Jade! They said two finger touch!" Tori scolded under her breath, eyes on the handler who was still preoccupied.

"Yeah, well I'm using two hands," Jade replied, uncaring.

"You can't just do what you want. There are rules," Tori told her, wishing she would put the creature down before she was caught and they were kicked out.

"Yes I can. You forget that I can bend reality to my will," she replied seriously. Her blue-green eyes flicked to Tori and a playful smirk pulled at her lips. It took Tori a moment to realize that she was joking around with her. It loosened her anxiety over getting caught by a little.

"Sure you can, 'cause you're Jade West," she responded just as jokingly.

"Damn right I am," Jade stated proudly. Tori laughed and shook her head. The snake twisted around Jade's hand and its tongue flicked out to brush her nose. She grinned and finally set it down then stroked its body with two fingers just as the handler turned back around. Tori let out a relieved breath but it faltered again when Jade looked at her expectantly.

"If I touch this thing we get to go to the turtles next. Those I can stand," she bargained.

"Fine, whatever," Jade agreed. Tori grit her teeth but managed to touch the smooth cool scales. It wasn't as bad as the frogs but a shiver of disgust still ran down her back. They went to see the turtles right after, as agreed. Tori happily felt the different patterns of their shells and watched them munch on greens. Jade didn't mind turtles but they were kind of boring to her. After that they stopped by the station of birds where a handler held a macaw on her shoulder and another held a cockatiel on his finger. A cockatoo paced on the stand between them muttering random words it had learned so far. When they got close Jade held a finger up to the cockatiel's belly and it hopped on easily.

Jade spent some time whistling to it and murmuring words as she stroked its back and it whistled back to her. In that moment Tori watched with wonder at her care towards animals. She was so gentle. Eventually Jade offered the bird to her, and with Jade's instruction, it hopped on her hand. She petted it a few times and traded tunes then handed it back to the handler. She looked around for Jade to see she wasn't next to her anymore. She was busy teaching the cockatoo an inappropriate word. Tori grabbed her by the sleeve of her leather jacket and pulled her away quickly while she laughed. And here was the Jade she knew, back just in time. The last station had small mammals. Tori almost squealed when she saw the mice.

"Aw, look how cute they are," Jade teased, just to get a rise out of her.

"I guess, but the white ones have those red eyes that creep me out. Same with the white bunnies," Tori explained. Jade scoffed and walked over to pet the previously mentioned animal.

"How could you say such a thing? Look at 'em," Jade stated, gesturing to the bunnies. Jade made sure to pet each one and Tori bit her lip at the interaction between Jade and her favorite animal.

"Why do you love bunnies so much?" she asked, curious. Jade paused, clearly deciding if she should answer that or not. In the end she shrugged and leaned closer to Tori.

"That's for me to know and for you to find adorable," she answered with a wink. Tori chuckled at her answer and decided not to pry. It was getting late so they made their way towards the exit. Jade drove Tori home in silence and then got out with her after parking.

"What are you doing?" she questioned, generally confused.

"Can't I come in?" Jade replied, walking around her car to stand by Tori.

"Yeah…sure," Tori said with a nod.

"Cool, then let's go," Jade said, heading for the door. Once they were inside Jade waltzed right into the kitchen to start digging around.

"Of course, that's why you wanted to come in. You know you could have just asked and I would have gotten it for you," Tori told her, seeing her set up to make coffee.

"Now what kind of guest orders around their host?" Jade asked in an overly innocent way, shooting Tori a smile as she headed for the fridge.

"You," Tori answered like it was obvious.

"Well then you should be glad I'm getting it on my own this time, shouldn't you?" Jade responded, her casual smile pulling down into a frown.

"Where's your water?" she questioned, her tone no longer playful.

"You could use the sink," Tori mentioned.

"Ew, no. Coffee can't be made with pipe water," Jade dismissed, hands on her hips.

"Well then I guess you're not having coffee," Tori said with a shrug as she walked over to lean on the counter. Jade stalked over, prompting Tori to go on the defensive. She grabbed Tori by the front of her shirt and twisted it in her grasp, yanking her closer.

"I don't think you understand, Vega. There's no life for you without water, because water is needed for coffee, and without coffee, I might kill you. Now I know you always keep an extra case of water bottles around here somewhere so go get it," she ordered.

"Only if you let me go. You're stretching out my shirt again," Tori complained. Jade released her and she smoothed down the now wrinkled top.

"I feel so loved," she grumbled to herself as she looked for the case of water bottles.

"You aren't feeling that from me, I assure you. Don't worry. You have your own fan club so you should be fine," Jade remarked. Tori handed a water bottle to her with a quirked brow.

"Are you trying to apologize?" Tori asked.

"What? No," she denied, turning away to set up the coffee machine.

"Yeah you are. You're trying to make me feel better," Tori taunted yet was elated to figure her out. Jade was trying hard not to let Tori see the irritation on her face that was a giveaway that she was caught.

"Why in the world would I do that?" she snapped, spinning around to glare at Tori.

"Because you're my friend and friends do that for each other," Tori answered truthfully. Jade groaned at the sappiness of it all and leaned on the counter with her arms crossed.

"So what if I was," she mumbled quietly.

"You were?" Tori asked, truly surprised that it was a genuine effort. She had been teasing at first but her words were still true. But now, knowing that Jade really had, was a whole other feeling. A big smile spread on her face and she held out her arms.

"Oh no," Jade griped, looking away.

"Give Tori a squeeze," she requested, shuffling closer. Jade's grimace stayed firmly plastered to her face as she grudgingly opened her arms to Tori. Only when they were embracing and Tori couldn't see her face did she let it slide to be replaced with a content smile, the same one reflected on Tori's face. Jade allowed the hug to go on three seconds longer and then pulled away.

"Ok, get off," she commanded, pushing at Tori with an irate touch to both her voice and expression. Tori let her go but she wasn't fooled. Jade hadn't fought the hug as much as she used to and it was far longer than the ones they shared in the past. She felt Jade's normally tense frame relax against hers and was glad to have finally gotten through to her. She wouldn't dare bring it up to Jade though, for fear it wouldn't happen again, so she kept it to herself and silently enjoyed it. She made herself a hot chocolate while Jade waited the last minute for the coffee to finish before making herself a cup. They wordlessly migrated to the couch where they sat down to watch TV together. Jade was quick to boss Tori around concerning what show they would watch, but by then, Tori didn't care. She knew Jade had to make up for her more than bearable behavior all day so she allowed it. They had actually had a good day together and that was all Tori had ever wanted. So with Jade's orders, Tori watched what she wanted without protest and then sat back to enjoy the rest of the day with her friend.


	4. Drinking About You

****This one didn't fully come together until the song _Do I Wanna Know? _by _Arctic Monkeys _played while I was brainstorming. Great song, and just the inspiration I needed.****

* * *

That damn song was playing again and Jade couldn't bring herself to turn it off. It pulled her from her heavily induced sleep riddled with dreams of a certain someone she was tired of thinking about. She had the dreams almost every night that week and they just wouldn't stop. Now the stupid song was another reminder of just how deep she had fallen. She yanked out her earbuds and pushed away the music device. With a grumble she rolled out of bed in search of food followed by her father's expensive scotch. It was the weekend and she had slept in.

Her parents weren't coming back until Monday so she had all the rest of that day and the next to waste away while she tried to get Tori Vega out of her head. She poured herself some and then tipped it back quickly, grimacing at the taste. She hated it but it was strong and the only source of alcohol in the house. She drank another and then plopped on the couch, enjoying the warmth it brought. After another she was numb and buzzed. Not drunk but getting there. It wasn't enough to stop yet because she could still remember the way Tori felt against her. The softness of her skin, the firm resolve in her kiss. She groaned and began pouring more.

"A little to remember the good stuff but a lot to forget the bad," she slurred to herself. She tossed it back and slumped into the couch. She didn't want to think of the possibility that even booze wouldn't erase that night from her mind, but she would try, so she kept drinking. With most of the bottle gone all rational thought left her. Tori was now more present in her mind than ever. The only difference now was that the drunk side of her wanted her in a way the sober side of her could never accept. She should call her, talk to her. Just to hear her voice. That wouldn't be nearly enough though. She had to see her. Right now. She stood and wobbled her way back to her room to get dressed and then left her house.

Once outside she walked a little more steadily with a lot of concentration applied. She headed down the street and then across down another block to get to Tori's house. Nothing in her thoughts could excuse it as a bad idea or a good one so she just kept going. She only stopped when she was standing in front of the Vega residence. She wasn't worried about the rest of the family being home. They never were. Even drunk she knew how messed up it was to leave Tori alone all the time. Her parents were neglectful of their children. She knew the signs. Her own parents were the same way. But this wasn't about them, it was about how bad she wanted Tori again. So, she pushed her way inside to see Tori laying on the couch watching TV.

"I'm here. What's your next two wishes," she stated, shutting the door and further strutting into the house. Tori sat up with surprise written all over her face. She had thought the anger Jade had over that last night together was enough to ruin any chance of friendship they had so she wasn't expecting her to just burst right into her house again like she always had before.

"Jade, what are you doing here?" she inquired, pushing off the couch to stand.

"You know why I'm here," she answered, advancing on Tori who stumbled to step back and keep space between them. Suddenly, her head tilted with recognition.

"Have you been drinking?" she questioned.

"Maybe," Jade allowed with a sloppy shrug. Just standing Tori could see her swaying a little.

"Jade, you have to stop doing this. It's an endless cycle," she told her, tone as firm as she could manage. As much as she wanted Jade she couldn't stop accepting her when she was so willing to reciprocate, because deep down, she knew Jade wanted to but couldn't unless that wall she always had up was dismantled with alcohol. But Tori wanted her sober. She wanted her to accept her feelings so that they could finally stop hurting. Or maybe Jade really didn't have any feelings for her. Maybe it was all just a game. Either way, she really wanted to know the truth behind it all.

"I know. I'm pathetic," Jade spat, angry at herself, her head bowed in guilt. Tori almost forgot just how honest she became when she was under the influence.

"No, you're only human," she corrected.

"Hey, there's no need for name calling," Jade replied, moving to fall on the couch. Tori stayed where she was. Silence fell with the only exception being the TV in the background.

"I hate that I can't hate you more than I already do," Jade growled, frustration clear. Her hands gripped tightly at the couch but she kept her head bowed so that she wouldn't see the pain she caused on Tori's face.

"How can you say that after everything **you **did to **me**?" Tori demanded, her voice rising with indignation. Jade didn't miss the way it wavered. She stood abruptly to stare down Tori.

"So you hate me too then?" she stated.

"Jade…you keep coming over here. We end up tangled in my sheets and then the next morning you're gone. I can't keep letting you do this over and over again in hope that the next time will be different. I want to hate you for what you do to me, but I can't. I honestly just want it all to stop," she replied, her voice broken now. She wished Jade would look at her but she kept her eyes averted. She knew looking at Tori would break her.

"Fine. I'm not going to stand here and listen to you accuse me of things I clearly did," she intoned, turning away to leave. She paused when Tori grabbed her arm.

"Jade, wait," she called to her. Jade could hear her voice clogging with emotion. She let Tori guide her back down to the couch and then she joined her. She took Jade's hand in hers and carefully placed the other on her pale cheek. The contact successfully brought Jade's hazy gaze to meet her own teary eyes.

"I just want to know if you feel the same as I do. Please Jade, just tell me. Because even if you don't remember this, or if you do, by tomorrow at least I'll know whether it's worth it to let you in again," Tori whispered, her voice dying as tears replaced it. Jade leaned in to rest her forehead on Tori's, her breath strong with alcohol. It was like that alone could cloud Tori's judgment but really it was the proximity of the girl before her.

"I don't know if you feel the same as I do…but we could be together if you really want to," she continued, closing her eyes to wait out Jade's reply. She chuckled and removed Tori's hand from her face so that she could cradle Tori's face in her own hands. Her touch was gentle and her eyes were unguarded.

"You should know by now how I feel if I keep crawling back to you," Jade responded, self-depreciating humor in every word she uttered.

"So can we? Just answer-" Tori pressed, hopeful, only for her words to get cut off by Jade's lips on hers. They were forceful and unyielding at first but softened into a caress the longer they graced hers.

"Am I too late to say yes?" Jade murmured, her lips brushing Tori's as she spoke.

"Never," Tori answered with a small shake of her head. She knew that there was a good chance Jade would deny ever saying those words when she was sober again, or maybe not even remember them, but hope and an aching need for her won out. Tori grabbed Jade by the front of her shirt and kissed her with everything she had, gaining a groan from her. She slipped off Jade's shirt and then pulled off her own. She pressed her back into the couch to climb on top of her but Jade stopped her, a hand pushing her back.

"What's wrong?" she inquired.

"We should take this to your room," Jade suggested, a little out of breath. Tori quickly got up and pulled Jade up with her. She led the way to her room only for Jade to clumsily force her against the wall and connect their lips again. Tori switched their positions and molded her body to Jade's, her hands taking in her curves. Jade moaned into Tori's mouth and a leg lifted to hook on her hip. Tori grabbed the other and lifted Jade into her arms. Her strong legs hugged her close and she moaned at the feeling of Jade's hips pressed to hers. Her fingers dug into Jade's back while her mouth found her neck. Jade growled when Tori bit into that sweet spot at the juncture between her neck and shoulder. Her legs tightened and she yearned to grind into Tori, but in her current position she couldn't.

"Tori, the bed," she gasped urgently, vulnerability apparent. Tori nodded and carried Jade into her room. She kicked the door closed behind her and dropped Jade on her bed. She then yanked at Jade's pants and tossed them aside with her shoes. Jade impatiently undressed herself while Tori did the same. Once she was bare she joined Jade in bed, their bodies meeting and fitting perfectly. The sounds of their shared passion filled the room as it had before, but this time, Jade noticeably gave Tori the permission to dominate her, taking her hard while she put up no resistance. Usually it was the other way around. Tori wasn't used to her begging and pleading but she was greatly turned on by it and was in no rush to stop. In short, she enjoyed it immensely.

The third time she brought Jade over the edge she cried out Tori's name. She had never done that before, no matter how many times Tori called out Jade's name during release both now and before. When they were too exhausted to keep going Jade curled into Tori, her arms hugging her close. Jade never cuddled afterwards but this time she did. Tori couldn't help but gain more hope that she would get to call Jade her own and finally be able to give herself in return. They slept soundly, and in the morning, Tori woke up to Jade still curled up in the same spot. She smiled sleepily and kissed Jade's nose. Blue-green hues revealed themselves when her eyes fluttered open. Tori waited with bated breath, anxious. Jade's eyes were focused, vividly lucid, and trained on Tori even though she had drank the day before and was just waking up.

"Have you been staring at me all this time?" Jade's scratchy voice questioned. Tori smiled and shook her head the best she could.

"Oh good. I wouldn't want a creeper for a girlfriend," Jade remarked, laying on her back to stretch out casually while Tori laid there with wide eyes in disbelief.

"Wait, what?" she spluttered, pushing up to prop herself on her elbow. Jade rolled back on her side and reached over to idly curl a lock of Tori's attractively tousled hair around her finger.

"You heard me. I'm not repeating it," Jade mumbled, her eyes still on Tori.

"No, I mean, I guess I just-well, I wasn't expecting it," she finally spat out.

"Isn't that what you want?" Jade inquired, her hand now sliding into her hair. Tori closed her eyes and basked in her touch.

"Yeah, it is, but what do **you **want?" Tori replied, her eyes opening to travel over Jade's features. She didn't wear a trace of uncertainty when she answered.

"I want you to be mine, and…I want to be yours," she stated, leaning in to punctuate the simple reply with a tender kiss that brought tears of happiness to Tori's eyes. She let Jade pull her closer and deepen the kiss. One thing led to another and the Jade she knew surfaced to confidently guide her over the edge of pleasure. The sole fact that Jade was willingly making love to her sober was liberating. When she came down Jade gathered her into her arms and kissed her once more. The thrill of finally having Jade as her own turned into the overwhelming need to take her out, and she knew just the place to go.

"I want to take you on a date," Tori said, excited. Jade smiled softly and ran a hand through her raven hair.

"What do you have in mind?" she asked, falling on her back and spreading out comfortably. She took up much of the bed so Tori shifted closer so that she wasn't forced off the side. Jade encouraged her to lay on her chest and she did so, draping her arm over her bare stomach.

"I have two concert tickets," she responded, a smirk appearing.

"You know the fastest way to my heart, don't you?" Jade commented.

"It would be ridiculous if I didn't," Tori pointed out.

"True. Well then, when is it?" Jade inquired. Tori drew out patterns on Jade's toned torso when she answered.

"It's your lucky day," she whispered.

"You mean they're for today?" Jade said, looking down at Tori.

"Yep. I've, uh, kinda been saving them in hopes that you would go with me," she confirmed, her voice weakening a little towards the end. She couldn't keep back the habit of expecting to be let down. But Jade didn't decline.

"I'd love to go with you," she accepted. Tori grinned and pulled her into a firm kiss.

"Then I'll see you back here around six and then we can head out," she said, jumping out of bed without a care that she was still naked. Jade appreciated her body as she got up too. She threw on her clothes while Tori pulled out a new set and then put on her robe, planning to get in the shower. She walked Jade to the door and they shared one last kiss before Jade left. She took a long relaxing shower and then made sure all her work for school was done just in case they ended up staying out late and she had no time to do it when she got home. She was more than ready when Jade returned to pick her up. Tori let her in with a smile which Jade returned. She laughed at the black shirt sporting red font. It was so Jade.

"Like it?" Jade asked her after shutting the door and kissing Tori on the cheek.

"It's very much you," she observed.

"I know," she replied with an easy going shrug. They left after that and headed deeper into the city. Just showing up at the venue was a hassle as the crowd was already rowdy. Jade kept a firm hold on Tori the whole time. She even stood up to a guy who kept rudely hitting on her while Jade was busy buying souvenir shirts for them. She turned back around just as he made a move towards her girl.

"Hey buddy, back the hell off," she growled, shoving him away.

"Watch it you trashy Goth or I'll totally total you," he snapped back.

"Totally?" she mocked.

"Totally!" he repeated, not aware that she was making fun of him. Jade had enough of the loser. She pulled Tori into her arms and kissed her in a way that was not at all suitable in public. It scrambled Tori's thought process so that all she could do was respond. When Jade pulled away she smirked smugly at the shocked guy and jabbed her thumb at her shirt.

"Read my shirt," she yelled at him. His eyes glanced at the red words that told him to fuck off using as many swear words as possible. He scoffed and waved her off but left with his tail between his legs none the less. Tori burst out laughing.

"Jade, you're horrible," she commented.

"Hey, you might not like that directed at you but you have to admit you like seeing others on the receiving end," Jade joked.

"Only if they deserve it," she admitted.

"That's enough for me," Jade said, kissing Tori's cheek and then handing her the newly bought shirt.

"There's really no need to cuss him out though," Tori added, pulling her shirt on over her own.

"He deserved it. You said if they deserve it then it's fine. Besides, I have an extensive vocabulary. Fuck just happens to be my favorite word," Jade explained with a shrug. Tori stifled a giggle while Jade reluctantly put the new shirt over her own. She liked her shirt but at least she got to point it out before covering it. On the way to their seats Jade had to stop a beefy guy from practically falling on Tori. She moved her out of the way in time and growled at the guy.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" she yelled over the noise of people.

"**You** watch where you're walking," he retorted, none too brightly.

"I was! You're the one who almost ran over my girl," Jade snarled in return. She could feel Tori pulling at her arm in an effort to stop the potential fight from brewing but Jade ignored her. She fiercely protected what or who she cared about and now Tori was one of them. She wasn't about to step down.

"Fuck off small fry," the meathead dismissed, shoving her by the shoulder. She teetered and Tori rushed to catch her. She found her balance by accepting the help and then charged at the guy. She gathered enough momentum to send him stumbling back when she shoved him. He fell over right on top of a security guard making his rounds. Tori hastily pulled Jade down an aisle of seats just in time. Jade watched with a smirk as the guy motioned to her in his wild attempts to explain himself. She couldn't hear what was being said but the grumpy look on the security guard's face said it all. The guy was escorted out and Jade laughed her amusement, taking her seat when she saw that Tori was already sitting.

"Are you done?" Tori inquired, faking disapproval.

"Yeah, just enjoying the fun of making those inconsiderate fucks aware that I'm not a push over and that if they bother you-" Jade ranted, only for Tori to placate her with a kiss.

"Relax," she ordered, patting Jade on the cheek before turning away. Jade chuckled and took Tori's hand in her own. The crowd was beginning to settle in as the show started up.

"Thank you, Jade," Tori screamed over the cheering crowd, leaning closer so that Jade could hear her better.

"For what?" she screamed in return.

"For this. For giving us a chance," she answered, raising their intertwined fingers. Jade smiled, a sincere one that made Tori grin.

"Thank you for not giving up on me," Jade told her. They shared a smile and then turned to the stage to cheer with the crowd. In that moment, surrounded by excitement and energy, they both held a steady warmth within them. The back and forth uncertainty was finally over between them. They now knew the answer to the question 'Do I want to know if she even felt the same way that I do?' The answer was 'Yes'. Both were determined to make it work, because they didn't want to waste another day apart.


	5. Fireflies

**Any of you watch that awesome web show _Carmilla_? Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. If not, go look for it. If you like Jori you'll definitely like Hollstein. Believe me. Anyway, I wrote this when I was so hooked on the web show and since I haven't written anything for it this is a kind of stand in. There will be no spoilers here but if you're interested go binge watch the episodes. You may or may not regret it. Ok, on to the fic!**

* * *

Christmas Eve day had passed by almost uneventfully and night replaced it. The day might not have been very interesting to Tori but the night was. Actually, midday and onward was the best time of day. All the way up until the morning rays of sunshine. She entered the room she shared with her late sleeping lover. Their past hadn't been the best, and they met on uncertain terms, but after three years together they finally found happiness. It was all Jade ever wanted and all Tori could ever hope for. She climbed on their bed to pounce on the sleeping figure wrapped up in the blankets.

"Time to get up, Jade!" Tori announced. Jade growled her agitation and deftly rolled over to trap Tori in the reversed blankets. She squeaked her alarm as Jade got comfortable on top of her.

"I don't want to get up yet," she muttered, grumpy.

"You've slept all day and most of the night. You told me not to wake you up until midnight. It's literally minutes from midnight," Tori argued.

"Which means I have more time," Jade countered, not moving an inch.

"Jade," Tori whined, glancing at the bedside clock.

"You have two minutes," she mumbled.

"Then quiet so I can enjoy it," Jade replied.

"But Jade, Cat said she'll show up at exactly midnight," Tori protested.

"All the more reason to rest while I can," Jade still fought.

"But-" Tori tried again, looking to the door.

"Vega, so help me-" she began to snap when the clock struck midnight and their door burst open.

"Merry Christmas!" Cat's high voice shouted, jarring Jade from the last dregs of sleep she attempted to cling to.

"See. I told you," Tori pointed out. Jade shot a glare at her but Tori just smiled and shrugged sheepishly. Jade sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose as Cat came running into the room. She cheered and dropped onto the bed, two wrapped presents in her hands. Jade rolled off Tori and sat up. Tori threw off the blankets to sit up too.

"Here. This one is for you and this one is for Jade," Cat said, passing each a present. She waited with a big smile on her face for them to open it.

"Right now?" Jade complained, still wanting to sleep. It was all she could think about at the moment. Cat nodded enthusiastically. Tori nudged Jade and gave her a pout when she looked at her. Jade quickly tried to turn away but the damage was done.

"Ugh, fine, ok," she relented. Tori kissed her cheek and began opening her present. Jade followed suit, and soon, they both held a nicely stitched sweater. Tori's was purple with black font. The very end of the sleeves were ringed in black and so was the collar. The words 'If found, return to Jade West' emblazoned the front. Tori chuckled and Jade smiled approvingly.

"Hey look, now everyone will know…" Jade pointed out, Tori nodding along with her.

"…how much of a dork you are," Jade finished. Tori stopped nodding to scold her but Jade just gave her a gentle kiss to keep her quiet. Tori couldn't help but let it do just that. Jade spread out her own black sweater that was styled the same way as Tori's except the colors were swapped. The words read 'Careful, I bite'.

"Hmm, not that I don't like this, but this could even apply to Tori," Jade remarked casually. Tori blushed and smacked Jade on the arm.

"What? You do! It's ok. I love it," Jade mumbled, nuzzling into Tori's neck. She shivered as a smile spread on her face, taking away the frown. She giggled and pushed Jade away.

"Well, I guess if you want to switch you can. Whatever suits your bottom. Or is it whatever suits your boot?" Cat spoke up, a finger on her chin in serious contemplation. Jade and Tori looked at her with identical raised brows.

"It's neither. The phrase is whatever floats your boat," Jade corrected.

"It means whatever suits you," Tori joined in explaining.

"Oh, well anyway, you guys can switch if it's better that way but I don't see how the sweater I gave Tori would make much sense on Jade," Cat babbled, truly confused. Jade rolled her eyes and shook her head. Tori just smiled fondly at their friend. A thought occurred to her and she set aside the sweater to ask her question.

"Thanks for the gifts Cat, but I was wondering if Trina's on her way yet?" she questioned. Cat immediately became excited.

"Oh! Yeah, she told me to tell you that she'd be here around twelve. She should be here soon," Cat shared. Jade groaned and fell back in bed.

"Not another Vega. I already have to deal with this one," she said, faking annoyance.

"Hey!" Tori exclaimed, frowning at Jade.

"I'm kidding. You know I love you," Jade amended, pushing up to kiss under Tori's jaw.

"I know," Tori replied, leaning in to kiss Jade's nose in return. She scrunched it in mock disgust and Tori laughed at her cute expression.

"Ew, that's sickening," a voice said from the doorway.

"Trina!" Cat yelled shrilly, jumping from the bed to tackle Trina in a hug.

"Whoa. Down little red," Trina demanded playfully. Cat just gripped her tighter and planted a kiss directly on Trina's lips. Trina stopped fighting her off after that. Jade made a gagging sound, gaining Tori's attention.

"Sorry, I just got nauseous all of a sudden," she explained. Tori's eyes narrowed disapprovingly at her but she shrugged it off. Trina parted from Cat and scoffed at Jade's comment.

"Well it's a far more enjoyable sight than you two being sickeningly sweet all the time," Trina complained.

"First of all, I'm not sweet, Tori is. And second, you making out with anyone is a sight that will never be enjoyable. Even Cat, being as sweet as she is, can't cover for all **that**," Jade countered, gesturing to all of Trina. She put her hands on her hips and turned up her nose.

"It's a wonder why I even got you a present," she griped.

"'Cause I'm your sister-in-law, that's why. You have no choice," Jade stated. Trina glared at her and Jade returned it. Tori and Cat shook their heads and sighed.

"Anyway, Cat, you and Trina's presents are under the tree if you want them," Jade mentioned. Cat brightened, snagged Trina by the hand, and dragged her from the room.

"Finally," Jade muttered, falling onto her side and turning over.

"No, you aren't going back to bed. Get dressed and put on your sweater. Family is visiting," Tori reprimanded, shaking Jade by the shoulder. Jade let Tori turn her over only so she didn't have to do the work herself. She simply pulled Tori's purple pillow out from behind her and then rolled back over, clutching it in her arms and burying her face in the fabric. The smell of Tori permeated every inch of it.

"Jade, stop stealing my pillow!" Tori exclaimed, trying to remove it from her.

"You aren't using it right now!" Jade retorted, hanging onto it.

"I do when I want to sleep! Get your own purple pillow!" Tori replied, tugging on it.

"But this one smells like you," Jade commented. Tori groaned at the pleading look directed over Jade's shoulder at her.

"Don't do that," Tori said, brows furrowed.

"Well, fine, if I can't have the pillow than I'll have to have you," Jade stated resolutely, tossing the pillow behind Tori and then crawling toward her on all fours.

"No! No, Jade, stop," Tori scolded, trying to pull her gaze from the pure seduction in Jade's eyes directed right at her. She hastily grabbed the pillow and hid under it but Jade just snatched it away. She tossed it over her shoulder and then pinned Tori to the bed. Her lips brushed Tori's and then traveled down to nibble at her neck. She groaned and tilted her head back but gasped when Jade's hand pulled aside her shirt and her teeth met the skin of Tori's shoulder. She growled quietly and her teeth ached, fangs lengthening to pierce flesh. Tori's back arched and Jade held her flush against her own body. She sunk her teeth in deeper, drawing more of Tori's sweet blood, and then pulled back. Her tongue slipped over the puncture wounds, cleaning away the blood that welled up.

"A warning would have been nice," Tori panted, cupping Jade's face and kissing her. Jade groaned as Tori's hot mouth and tongue met hers.

"Sorry, I just had to. It was really only a nip," Jade mumbled, now nipping at Tori's bottom lip playfully to emphasis her point. Tori pulled away with a chuckle.

"**That** was a nip. You **bit** my shoulder," Tori pointed out. Jade dragged her tongue once more over the bite and then kissed Tori's cheek.

"You're irresistible. I can't help it," Jade remarked. Tori rolled her eyes and Jade laughed.

"Let's go outside and look at the stars. We haven't done that in a while," Jade requested.

"Yeah, we haven't had much time to ourselves since Cat figured out how that teleport spell works," Tori mentioned. Jade frowned at that.

"That witch needs to learn to stop interrupting us," Jade complained.

"You always seem to only use that term when it's a fraction off cursing at her," Tori commented disapprovingly.

"So?" Jade said with a shrug. Tori wasn't going to argue the point so she dropped it.

"Ok then, help patch me up. You have to make up for biting me," Tori said, pulling Jade out of bed. Jade stood but yanked Tori back into her arms. She stumbled into her with the force, and before she knew it, Jade's tongue was cleaning up more of the spilled blood.

"Come on Jade," Tori whined, voice breathy with Jade's ministrations. Her hands ran up her body where one cradled her head back so she could better reach the wound. Her other traveled down to grab at Tori's behind and press them together. The moan that reached Jade's ears drew a moan from her own mouth.

"Yeah, we should get going before I take you right here," Jade husked in Tori's ear. She pulled away and they headed for the bathroom. Tori pulled off her shirt while Jade got what she needed. She then cleaned the bite and covered the wound with bandages.

"There, you cry baby," Jade said while putting everything away.

"How about I bite **you**?" Tori snapped, stopping her hand from rubbing her shoulder to shove Jade back into the bathroom wall. She held her there and leaned in close.

"You already do, and it just turns me on," Jade retorted defiantly. Tori forced her head to the side anyway and bit at the same place Jade bit her. She let out a groan and wrapped her arms around Tori to encourage her. Tori sucked on the sensitive skin and then bit again. Jade gasped and her back arched. She could feel her fangs lengthening again in arousal. Tori pulled away at that moment, satisfied with the bruised love bite vivid against Jade's pale skin. It would take all day to heal.

"And the worst part is, I'm leaving you like that," Tori whispered with a smirk. She turned on her heel and walked away. Jade groaned longingly but pushed off the wall to follow her.

"That's unfair," she sulked.

"Well you need to show better ethics when you feed. You could have asked me first," Tori replied, stopping to face Jade with her hands on her hips.

"You would have said yes anyway. I just saved you time. Besides, ethics are just a ridiculous game played by children who think they can impose order on an arbitrary universe," Jade told her, leaning on her right leg and crossing her arms. When Tori remained unmoved Jade sighed and walked over to stroke her cheek with the back of her hand.

"I'm sorry, Tor," she said sincerely, taking Tori's hands in hers. Their eyes met and Tori smiled, happy with the apology because she knew Jade meant it despite not taking it seriously at first. Jade smiled in return and then pulled Tori over to their bed. She picked up their sweaters and handed Tori hers but held on to her own. Tori put on a new shirt first then pulled the sweater on over. Once Jade wore hers they linked hands and headed outside. The huge tree in their backyard was the perfect spot for stargazing. As they always did in the past, Jade carried Tori on her back as she scaled the tree effortlessly. They got comfortable on the highest branch that could also hold their weight. Tori rested her head on Jade's shoulder while Jade held her close with an arm around her middle.

"You know, back when I was little, like maybe six, I looked up at the stars and thought they were fireflies," Jade shared unexpectedly. Tori shifted so that she could see Jade's face. A small but sad smile told Tori she was reminiscing over her past.

"Fireflies?" she questioned, offering her a smile that she hoped would let Jade know she was here for her. When nostalgia hit Jade it hit hard. She had a good life before she was attacked and turned at twenty years old. She had a good family, she was going to get married, and she was happy. Then everything went to hell and she spent years fighting to stop herself from killing. Even after gaining control she spent a long time alone, reluctant to gain a friend in any way. Only when Cat found her, and proved she was more than capable of handling Jade as well as living a long life, did Jade allow her to be a friend. But then Tori came along and Jade was hooked. Her stubborn heart wouldn't ignore the beautiful girl and so here they were.

"Yeah. I used to think they were fireflies that got stuck up there. Of course I eventually learned what they were and that they were far from being insects. I like my idea better, but whatever. Science wins out in this day and age," Jade explained, slightly joking. Tori tried to imagine small, little, Jade back in a time when space wasn't well-known.

"I think it's cute," Tori remarked.

"I wouldn't expect anything less than that from you," Jade responded, glancing at her with an affectionate gaze. Tori admired the way Jade's eyes seemed to glow under the blanket of stars above them.

"You don't really talk about when you were human," she mentioned, fiddling with her hands. Jade looked down at her lap, frowning.

"I don't really like to talk about it. It hurts to remember. It only reminds me of all that I lost," she admitted. Tori carefully reached over and gripped Jade by the chin so that she could look her in the eyes.

"Thank you for sharing it with me. I'm glad you trust me and feel comfortable enough with me to talk about it," she told her. Jade smiled softly and leaned over to kiss Tori carefully.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me in a very, very long time," she whispered, pulling away just enough so that their eyes could meet again. A warm glow highlighted the minimal tears in Tori's eyes. Jade caressed her cheek with one hand and then lifted a hand to her shoulder to scoop up the glowing light that had landed on Tori's shoulder. She held it out for Tori to see the little insect in the palm of her hand. Tori glanced down at the firefly crawling to the tip of Jade's fingers. She raised them a little and the bug spread its wings to fly away.

"There's more," Jade pointed out, gesturing to small lights that surrounded them. Tori watched them a while and then compared them to the stars in the sky. Besides one being stationary and the other constantly mobile, they did pretty much look the same at a distance.

"The stars do look like fireflies," she agreed, looking away from the sky to Jade again. She smiled and shook her head.

"I guess so," she permitted. Tori scooted closer and wrapped her arms around Jade, her face tucked under Jade's chin. She held her firmly and Jade returned the loving embrace. A firefly landed on Jade's knee and another on Tori's arm.

"You know, when I was little, I used to catch them. Trina and I would make a sport of it and we even competed to see who could catch the most," Tori shared.

"Are you challenging me?" Jade asked, a teasing tone to her voice.

"Possibly," Tori replied, a crooked smile curling her lips. She moved to kiss under Jade's jaw and then breathed in her ear.

"Winner gets a special treat from the loser," she mumbled, her hand running up Jade's leg. The firefly resting there took off, but quick as lightning, Jade fluidly captured it. She turned her intense gaze on Tori and then held her closed fist in front of her.

"You might have spent more time catching them than I have, but I know that I'll win," she promised, opening her hand. The insect quickly flew away but she caught it again. Tori's eyes widened in awe at her quick reflexes.

"Well, I can at least try," Tori supposed. Jade released the bug with a chuckle and gathered Tori in her arms. She leaped from the tree, using one hand to catch branches as they descended. She skid down the trunk the last few feet and then pushed off to land in the grass below. She set Tori down and instantly the human ran inside for some jars. Jade waited for her, leaning on the tree and charting out the best group of fireflies to catch. Tori came back shortly and they split up. Not even five minutes later Jade's jar was packed while Tori only had five. They kept flying out every time she tried to catch more. At one point she even had eight, but it wouldn't have mattered. Jade won fair and square.

"Looks like I won," Jade stated, taking Tori's jar from her and setting it aside with her own.

"You cheated with your fast reflexes," Tori pouted, staring at the ground. Jade rolled her eyes but tilted Tori's face back up to kiss her.

"I can't help that my love," she whispered, her lips now trailing across Tori's jaw to her ear. She nipped at it before her tongue slid out to flick at the sensitive skin right under it.

"It's warm tonight, isn't it?" she panted in Tori's ear, her left hand cupping Tori's jaw while the other teasingly dragged down her body to pull her closer by her hip. Tori groaned but managed to nod.

"Good, because I want my treat now," Jade purred, quickly scooping Tori off her feet and laying her gently in the thick grass. Her body pressed into her, joining her on the ground. Tori gripped Jade's back with one hand and tangled the other in her hair, yanking just enough to gain a growl from Jade. She then pulled her down to capture her lips in a frenzied kiss. Jade was already tugging at Tori's pants, pushing them down to her ankles. Tori kicked off at least one pant leg so she could free her legs. Jade was busy pushing up her shirt and sweater to lick at her exposed flesh and then leave love bites down her torso. Seeing that Tori had freed herself Jade grasped her by the thighs and spread them. Jade's mouth was now preoccupied between her legs.

Tori cried out and gripped at the grass, her body tensing with her building pleasure. Jade took her time but her ministrations were deliberate and the added effect of her fingers was bringing Tori to release at a faster pace. Her legs began to tremble where they rested on Jade's shoulders. The pale digits of her free hand gripping at her hip to hold her down tightened a little while the others worked faster inside her. She could feel that Tori was close. She looked up at her, wanting to see her expression when she fell over the edge. With another thrust Tori's ragged moan of Jade's name during release left her lips and made Jade shudder pleasantly. She licked at Tori one last time and then crawled over her.

"Damn…" Tori gasped, running a hand through her hair. Jade looked down at her, admiring her and loving the way the soft glow of the fireflies painted her with their light. Tori smirked up at her and then wrapped her arms around Jade's neck. With a forceful push she rolled them over so that she was on top.

"I think I should get something for trying," she muttered, stripping Jade of her sweater and shirt then dragging her hands over her curves to yank down her pants. When she came back up her legs she brushed between them teasingly. Jade groaned heavily and pulled Tori into a rough kiss.

"You think so?" she growled, crying out sinfully when Tori's fingers plunged into her without warning. Tori only nodded her response, her smirk growing as she penetrated Jade over and over. Shivers ran down Jade's spine and her head tilted back to enjoy the feeling of Tori taking her hard. Tori's mouth dropped wet kisses down her neck and stopped to ravish her full chest, her free hand joining in. She spent some time there before biting at Jade's side and leaving another mark. Her tongue then skimmed over her thighs a few times before joining her fingers. By then Jade was ready to burst.

She waited until she was right at the edge and then pulled Tori up to lock lips with her, wanting to taste their arousal mixed together. Jade's moan reverberated in Tori's mouth when she came. Her hands smoothed over Tori's back and then grabbed at her hips. Her own lifted to entice her and in seconds Tori was eagerly grinding into her, their thighs pressed to their still sensitive centers. Tori thrust against her, whines and whimpers traded for Jade's growls. Her second climax hit her hard and fast. She screamed Tori's name and her nails dug into Tori's back. Tori swore in pain and got back at Jade with a bite to her sweet spot, her teeth digging into the muscle of her shoulder once again.

"Fuck, Tori!" she snarled, caught off guard. The electric jolt shot straight down and triggered another orgasm, her back arching off the ground. When she came back down she shoved Tori off her and pinned her to the ground. She bared her fangs and tore at the bandages so that they could sink deep into Tori's tan flesh. The low possessive growls vibrated on her skin and Tori had no choice but to cling to Jade and wait it out. Jade's fangs retracted but then her mouth latched on to gulp down her hot blood.

"You're delicious, Victoria," Jade moaned in her ear, a slight accent inflection in her voice. She often lost hold of the person she had become for the ever changing time era in the heat of their passion or when her emotions ran high. To Tori it was highly interesting and somewhat of an honor to hear the articulate way Jade had spoken during her living years. It was like a piece of history that was perfectly preserved in the present. Jade licked her lips and then used the sleeve of her shirt to press to Tori's neck. When the bleeding slowed she removed herself to roll off her and hike up her pants. Tori sat up with some difficulty to do the same then yanked off her sweater. She was too over heated for it now. She fixed her bra and shirt then slipped on her bottoms while Jade pulled on her sweater. She carried her shirt in one hand and offered the other to Tori who took it. Jade pulled her up and into her arms. She dabbed at the bite to make sure it stopped bleeding and then crouched down to release the fireflies they had caught, leaving the jars by the tree. When she stood up to return to Tori she was smirking.

"You didn't have to use some lame excuse of catching fireflies to get me to have sex with you, you know," she stated evenly, her clear blue-greens finding Tori's soft browns. Tori smiled with satisfaction and shrugged.

"Maybe I like to have a little fun before the main even," she remarked. Jade smirked, amused, and pulled Tori closer by the waist.

"Or maybe you just like playing hard to get?" she proposed.

"Maybe," Tori replied. Jade kissed her once more, slow and languid. When they parted Jade chuckled happily, her fangs flashing in the glow of the surrounding lights. Despite what they were needed for Tori thought that the slightly pointed canines gave Jade a sexy quality. They could make her appealing or predatory. Sometimes the two even mixed. Either way, she could say without a doubt that Jade didn't scare her anymore. She had always felt like Jade was just playing with her before she would grow bored and drain her. But now she knew Jade was devoted to protecting her, even from herself if necessary.

"I love you, Jade," Tori stated, needing to tell her.

"And I love you, Tori. I always will," Jade answered. She hugged Tori to her and then let her lean against her while they headed back inside. They walked into the house to see Trina and Cat tangled up in each other. All four froze to take in the appearance of each other. Trina was topless and Cat lost both her shirt and pants. She was straddling Trina's hips. Trina pushed her off onto the couch to lean over the back. She looked at Tori's rumpled clothes, sweater in hand, half buttoned flannel, and bitten neck then glanced at Jade's unbuttoned pants, mused hair, and bloody shirt hanging from her hand.

"You guys are a mess," she commented.

"Yeah, you're not too formal either. At least we got dressed," Jade shot back, nodding her head at their lack of clothes.

"Excuse me, but we haven't even gotten off yet thanks to you guys interrupting! You had your fun so the least you could do is let us do the same," Trina countered. Jade made a face and closed her eyes. Her head turned away to bury in Tori's shoulder.

"I did not want to hear that," she complained. Tori ran her hand through her hair, kissed her forehead, and then began leading her to their room.

"Have fun with that. Don't get too loud," she requested.

"I can't make any promises. Cat gets kinda vocal," Trina replied bluntly.

"Treen!" Cat whined, smacking her arm. They began to argue about it.

"Don't want to know!" Tori shouted over them, shaking her head once they were out of earshot. Jade stood up straight when they began climbing the stairs. Now that they were back in their room Tori sighed gratefully and fell into bed. She exhaled loudly and rolled onto her back just as Jade pounced on her.

"Let's see if we can make more noise than them," she suggested, wiggling her brows.

"Jade!" Tori exclaimed, pushing her back a little.

"You know they won't be quiet. We hear everything they do every time they come to stay with us. Plus, they interrupt us all the time. I think it's only fair we get back at them," Jade explained.

"You don't have to make up some lame excuse," Tori playfully taunted, using Jade's words from earlier. Jade laughed but leaned in to lightly bite at Tori's lip.

"I don't have to make an excuse. I'm only suggesting," she said in a quiet mumble.

"And I can't suggest?" she inquired.

"Nope," Jade answered, laughing at Tori's frown. Jade's smile fell from her face and a serious expression complete with darkening eyes took its place.

"I want to have sex with you. I want to fuck you. I want you. Now is there any other way you want me to say this while I'm at it?" she purred, her hips pressing into Tori's, making a sigh fall from her lips.

"Make love to me," she moaned, her body responding to the forceful way Jade spoke. Jade's smirk displayed her pearly white teeth, a single fang poking her full bottom lip.

"I'd love to," she stated, leaning down to kiss Tori passionately. The goal this time was to do anything and everything to heighten their arousal. With that came cries of ecstasy and loud moans of pleasure. Jade's swears and Tori's chanting of Jade's name filled the room. It was a hard task to accomplish but Jade kept an ear out for the sounds coming from downstairs. They must have figured out they were trying to be silenced by being outmatched so for a good while they were just as loud. But it seemed they couldn't last as long. Tori's last orgasm left her winded and breathing heavily. Jade kissed her tenderly and stroked her cheek. Her sweat coated them both from exertion.

"Get some sleep. You'll need it," Jade whispered. Tori nodded, her eyes already closing. Her head fell to the side and in seconds she was out. Jade gathered her in her arms and let herself relax. The sun was on its way up anyway so it wasn't hard to let sleep have her. By morning Tori slept in just as long as Jade. They woke up together and took a shower before Tori went downstairs to get something to eat and Jade followed to accompany her. Practically half the day was already gone but Trina and Cat were still asleep on the couch. Jade was glad to see they hadn't fallen asleep naked like she and Tori had. Tori was finished with brunch by the time the two on the couch woke up. Cat complained of being sore and tired while Trina agreed and vowed to never try to outlast Jade when it came to competitions involving sex. She didn't get tired, after all, and frequent time together meant Tori lasted longer.

Still, Tori had to agree with Trina, yet internally, she was proud of herself for being able to keep up with Jade. Needless to say, Jade was proud of her too. A truce was called and then Trina and Cat got ready for the day. They all settled on staying inside to relax and just hang out together. As it turned out, they got through the presents, three board games, and two movies before everyone except Jade fell asleep. She chuckled and held Tori in her arms. She was fine with waiting for them to sleep off the rest of their strenuous night. Until then, she would just enjoy the silence and let her mind wander. Hopefully Trina learned her lesson this time, but Jade doubted it. She pressed a kiss to Tori's temple and closed her eyes. She might as well sleep too. It was better than waiting the hours she knew they would all be sleeping through. She fell asleep after fifteen minutes with a triumphant smirk on her face.

* * *

**Update: Strange place for this, I know, but the finale of _Carmilla_ was just so, so, so good. It was everything the fans (Creampuffs) wanted and needed. Just had to put that out there. For anyone reading this and still hasn't seen it, what are you waiting for? Drop this and go now!**


	6. Sins

Boredom did not begin to describe the restlessness Tori was feeling. There was a plethora of things that needed to get done but she didn't want to do them. No, she wanted to do something entertaining, something fun. Everyone seemed to be busy today except for her. All she managed to do was watch a little TV and read. The weekend was meant for going out yet she was still sitting at home. But what was there to do anyway? Almost on cue her phone burst into song. She picked it up quickly without looking at the number.

"Hello?" she said into the device.

"It's weird how people still say that like it's a question. You have my number so you should know it's me," the voice on the other end snarked. Tori rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Jade? Why are you calling?" she questioned.

"I'm bored so I'm coming over," Jade replied.

"What?" she said, not comprehending why she would want to do that.

"You heard me. Start thinking of things we can do. Bye," she commanded. She hung up soon after and left Tori to wonder if that really happened. Hours passed and Tori was beginning to think Jade was just messing with her so she dropped the notion that she was seriously going to show up. But then there was a knock on the door at sunset. Tori rushed to open it, a smile in place with the hope of company, only for it to drop when she saw who it was.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I told you I was coming over, didn't I? Believe me, I wouldn't even be here if I wasn't so bored," Jade responded, pushing Tori aside to enter. Tori shut the door and followed her to the couch where Jade made herself at home, as she always did.

"So you decided to come bother me?" Tori inquired, a little irritated.

"Yeah, why not? Sounds fun enough for me," Jade answered with a shrug. Tori sighed and pushed back the long bangs that fell from her ponytail. She then pushed her glasses up further on her nose. Jade watched her with eyebrows raised and arms crossed.

"Look, if all you're going to do is bother me then you can just go now because I'm tired of it and I won't stand for it today," Tori snapped. An amused smirk pulled at Jade's lips.

"You're going to have to anyway. Now do you have something we can do?" she asked.

"No. I didn't think you would actually show up," Tori replied. Jade scowled but looked around in hopes of an idea because she wasn't going to leave now that she was there. It was then when her searching gaze fell to her shirt. She was wearing one of her favorites. The seven deadly sins written in French. Luxure, Fierté, Gloutonnerie, Courroux, Paresse, Avidité, Envie. Her smirk became mischievous as she turned to Tori.

"I have something we can do. It's like my twisted version of truth or truth," Jade explained. Tori looked curious but cautious.

"What about dare?" she wondered.

"No one picks dare anyway," Jade said, shrugging.

"I do," Tori protested.

"No you don't, I do. Just shut up and listen," Jade demanded. Tori sighed heavily but did as she was told.

"We'll each reveal something we've done based on the seven deadly sins. If one of us doesn't want to share something then they'll have to take a dare from the other," Jade instructed. Tori blanched at the game. Of course, only Jade would come up with such a thing.

"I'm not playing that," Tori disagreed.

"Yes you are. Relax, it's no big deal. Unless…you aren't as pure as you pretend to be. I'd believe that," Jade responded.

"I haven't done anything," Tori told her.

"I ask to differ," Jade dismissed.

"Don't you mean beg to differ?" Tori corrected.

"No, I never beg," Jade answered.

"But ask to differ sounds stupid-" Tori tried to say only for Jade to smack her arm.

"Shut up, Vega," she ordered.

"Ok. So, um, which one should we start with?" Tori grudgingly accepted, hesitant to start. She knew there was no use fighting Jade. What she wanted she got and she wasn't in any mood to handle a pissed off Jade. That would be worse than the current game. It couldn't be that bad, could it? Jade thought about it before replying.

"Let's start with gluttony," she suggested.

"Rock, paper, scissors to see who goes first," Tori stated, holding a hand flat out and resting her upright fist on it. Jade rolled her eyes at the childish game but complied. Tori ended up choosing paper and lost to Jade choosing scissors.

"How did I not see that coming?" Tori wondered.

"Alright Vega, confess to the sin," Jade said with a smirk while she got comfortable.

"When you say it like that I feel so much worse," Tori commented.

"Oh? So it's that bad?" Jade inquired, interested even more now.

"No!" Tori denied.

"Then say it already," Jade pressed, growing impatient.

"Fine. Uh, one time I ordered a large pizza that was supposed to be for me and Trina but she took too long with her beauty regimen so I ended up eating it all by myself," she shared. Jade laughed.

"Wow, a whole pizza? Where did you put it all?" she wondered, eyeing Tori. She only shrugged and chuckled a little. Hearing Jade laugh sort of threw her off. She expected Jade to tease her.

"When I was thirteen I had a crazy Sour Patch Kids addiction. I ate so many I fucked up the lining of my stomach. It gave me killer pains and the doctor said I was close to burning a hole in my stomach. I'm not allowed to eat them anymore," Jade shared in return.

"Whoa, really?" Tori asked.

"No, I'm just messing with you. Yes, really!" Jade snapped.

"Ok, ok. I'm going to choose sloth next," Tori decided. Jade nodded and sat back while Tori tried to dredge up a memory.

"Trina was punished for fighting with me all the time so she had a lot of chores to do. I felt bad that I basically landed her there but at the same time I didn't really want to have to help so I spent that whole week going straight to my room to sleep the rest of the day away while she cleaned. I felt a little bad after," Tori confessed.

"You shouldn't. That banshee deserved it. She brings out the worst in you, doesn't she?" Jade said. Tori nodded, not missing the reassurance Jade gave her but not pointing it out either.

"She brings out the worst in a lot of people," she mentioned. Jade agreed with a nod.

"Let's see. The only real instances are the few times I just neglect to finish homework. I really couldn't care less about it sometimes," she said with a shrug.

"That's not so bad," Tori pointed out.

"Nope, but neither is yours and it's all I can think of so moving on. How about pride?" Jade replied.

"The first time I stood up to you," Tori was quick to blurt out.

"You prideful bitch," Jade joked with a shake of her head. That day pissed her off but she couldn't help admiring the new girl for having the guts to fight back against her. Tori laughed and nudged her.

"It's safe to say it's almost every time I do anything to challenge and/or compete against you plus the many times I've won. Which is a lot," Jade pointed out.

"I would have to agree with that, but let's add any time you do that to anyone," Tori remarked.

"True," Jade allowed.

"Envy next," Tori said.

"Why?" Jade asked her.

"It's the next one that popped in my head. Let's see. This one is hard," Tori muttered, trying to find another situation that wasn't the one that currently swarmed her thoughts.

"How so? We were doing just fine. Are you having second thoughts? Do you want a dare instead? Because that would be just as fun for me," Jade taunted. Tori was quick to answer.

"At one point it's how I felt about your relationship with Beck," Tori hastily admitted. Jade sat there silently for a while, emotions passing her face too fast to read before she just shrugged.

"Ok, well, he's all yours now. I guess the same for your relationship with Andre," she responded.

"What?" Tori stated, too puzzled over that to correct Jade.

"You can't ask any more than that, Vega. Let's move on to avarice," Jade said, voice terse. Tori sighed but let it go to continue the game.

"Trina fits that better than me. There were a few accessories I didn't really need but got anyway just because I wanted them," Tori answered.

"The only thing I ever want to have all of is every pair of scissors from each time era so that I can have a timeline of how they've changed over the years," Jade explained. Tori thought Jade couldn't get any weirder.

"What else is there? Oh yeah, wrath," Tori continued.

"I hate my father and I wish he would leave me the hell alone," Jade stated bitingly.

"Trina can get me pretty angry sometimes but I can't really hate anyone," Tori said, a little concerned for Jade's feelings toward her father.

"Not even me?" Jade inquired, her tone reserved once more.

"No," Tori answered with a shake of her head. She offered Jade a smile, and just when Jade was about to let one grace her lips she looked away.

"That leaves lust," she mumbled. Tori blushed a little at what the word brought to the forefront of her mind.

"You're going first this time," Tori spoke up, clearing her throat. Jade smirked at her.

"Does sweet pure Tori Vega have naughty things she doesn't want to share?" Jade teased.

"N-no, I just think this one is a little more personal," Tori tried to explain.

"Yeah, yeah. Time for a dare then," Jade dismissed, shifting closer to Tori who gulped and leaned away a little.

"Kiss me," Jade stated seriously.

"W-what?" Tori spluttered.

"That's your dare. Take it or tell me who or what you've lusted over," Jade challenged. Tori groaned and bit her lip, trying to decide and missing the way Jade's eyes fell to her lips.

"Tori," Jade called to her, impatient. Tori looked at her with conflict clear in her eyes before she cupped Jade's face and captured her lips in a kiss that was way more enthusiastic than either of them anticipated. They parted slowly but neither moved away. They were stuck in the moment, not fully believing what happened.

"So…um, when did you get your tongue pierced?" Tori questioned in a daze, breaking the thick silence. Jade chuckled.

"Two weeks ago. You like it?" she replied. Tori simply nodded.

"Good. I should probably tell you I've always wanted you," Jade confessed quietly. Tori looked at her like it was too good to be true.

"Really? Then I should tell you that I've always wanted you too," she mumbled.

"You had dirty thoughts about me, Vega?" Jade purred, tracing the side of Tori's jaw and then trailing it down her neck to grip at her shirt.

"S-sometimes," Tori stuttered, blushing.

"Well maybe we can do something about that. Kissing you wasn't the only thing I'm guilty of wanting to do with you," Jade whispered, pulling Tori in for another heady kiss. Her lips soon left Tori's to travel down her neck, her tongue sliding across warm skin. Tori moaned and tipped her head back.

"Jade," she whimpered.

"Yes?" Jade responded, letting Tori bring her back up for a deeper kiss.

"What are we?" she asked, staring into Jade's eyes.

"I'm not going to be all cliché and say I'm suddenly in love with you, because I'm not. I like you and I like your body…" Jade began, running a hand up and then back down Tori's lithe torso. It caused a shiver to run down her spine.

"But I don't want to start off going out. Let's just call it friends with benefits and go from there. It'll be fun for both of us, I promise," she finished, swiping at Tori's bottom lip with her tongue before nipping.

"Friends? You want to be friends?" Tori wondered, tilting her head and smiling in a way that was happy yet teasing.

"Don't forget the benefits part. That's what makes it all worthwhile," Jade emphasized.

"And if we do end up liking each other as more?" Tori mentioned, anxious for the answer.

"Then we can try out dating," Jade permitted, no trace of a lie in her voice. Tori smiled and Jade scoffed at the sight of it.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Vega," she warned, moving away, but Tori just yanked her back in and aimed right for her neck. She kissed, licked, and bit at Jade's pale skin, driving quiet moans from her lips.

"I already am. I've been kinda lonely and restless recently and thought that maybe this is exactly what I need. What do you say?" Tori panted in Jade's ear. Her hot breath made Jade groan with anticipation. She stood abruptly and tugged Tori up with her.

"I say you're being sinfully attractive and all I really want to do right now is take this to your bed," Jade stated truthfully. Tori took her by the hand while the other brought Jade into another kiss, their tongues meeting for a far longer amount of time. When they parted for air Tori pulled Jade up the stairs to her room. She shut the door behind them and then Jade pushed her towards her bed.

"Show me what I can benefit from you," she growled, yanking off Tori's shirt and then kissing down her stomach to stop above the waistline of her pants, which she was quick to remove. She stood up while Tori kicked them away. Her hands stripped Jade of her shirt and then unbuttoned her pants before tugging her closer by the opened portion. Jade's hips met her own and she groaned.

"I plan to," Tori murmured, her hands sliding inside her pants to start pushing them off with her thumbs hooked on the waistband. Her palms ran over the smooth skin of Jade's thighs until her jeans hit the floor. Jade stepped out of them with a wicked smirk. Their lips connected again in a lustful dance as they fell into Tori's bed. Now neither was bored. In fact, they were set to have fun for hours. If this was what they could enjoy just by being friends then they couldn't wait to start.


	7. Treehouse

**And now we come to the end. It was fun while it lasted. I never participated in these before. I enjoyed it. Special thanks goes to _YouCan'tControlMe_ and _x-clownsdontbounce-x_ for setting this up. It was a great way to liven up the _Victorious_ fandom. I'm happy to see there are others besides myself who don't want it to die out. Well, enjoy! :{)**

* * *

After many years apart the West family were expecting a visit from their long-time friends. David Vega and his wife Holly went to the same school as Gabriel West and his wife Lucy. The four were good friends and became high school sweet hearts to their significant other. As they battled through life they kept in touch as often as they could but a few years slipped by them. It was enough time to pass for each couple to get married and settle down with kids. David and Holly had two girls, Trina and Tori. Gabriel and Lucy had one girl, Jade. The moment they heard that the Vega's were in town again they arranged to meet. Tori and Jade were the same age but Trina was a year older. Because she was the eldest she felt she was way older than she really was and didn't want to go with her parents to visit the Wests. David and Holly couldn't leave her alone but they wanted to catch up with Gabriel and Lucy so they made a deal with their older daughter.

She had to politely attend the small get-together and she had to behave. If she could do that, then they would go home early. She agreed and soon they were pulling up to the West residence. They walked up to the door and knocked, waiting anxiously. In seconds they were greeted by the familiar, if a bit older, faces of the friends they knew for so long. They were eagerly welcomed in, chatting away the whole time. Trina, being eleven, had no patience to listen to what was being said but she didn't want to have to play with her little sister and the quiet West girl so she stayed at her parent's side even after all the introductions had passed. Tori and Jade however, began a tenuous friendship. Jade was a bit unreachable at first and refused to talk to the sunny girl, but Tori soon interested her with her clumsiness, which she found funny, and decided she wasn't so bad. She offered to show her the one thing she prided over, the one thing that was her own. The recently built treehouse that stood in the backyard. Tori happily accepted and together they ran out back.

"Whoa, it's awesome!" Tori exclaimed, leaning back so that she could see the whole thing all the way to the top.

"It's even better inside. Come on," Jade said, gesturing for Tori to follow. She began climbing the ladder built into the wide trunk and Tori hurried up after her. Jade waited for her at the top, quickly catching her by the hand when she missed a step and fumbled.

"Geez, you're a klutz," she commented, pulling Tori up.

"I know," Tori accepted, laughing a little. Jade moved to the small couch against the far wall and plopped down. Tori took the small chair next to it. Something hard jabbed at her and she grunted as she searched under her for the object. She pulled out a hefty hammer and held it up in confusion.

"Why is there a hammer in here?" she asked. Jade brightened at her find and reached over to carefully take it from her.

"When I helped my dad build the treehouse I hid it from him because I liked it and wanted to keep it. He'll probably notice it's gone when he needs it so I should really put it to good use before he comes looking for it," she remarked, admiring the tool. Tori looked at her with wide eyes and an uncertain smile.

"What are you gonna use it for?" she inquired. A smirk curled Jade's lips when she answered, smacking the head of the tool lightly in her pale hand.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she answered, making Tori's already concerned expression grow. Jade laughed at her discomfort and then set the hammer aside. Tori ran her hands over the soft rug that covered the floor while she looked around at the various crates or drawers that drew her attention. She wondered what each one held. She wanted to ask, as she was naturally curious, but felt it might be too personal. Jade detected the withheld question and answered anyway.

"The crates are all the toys I used to play with. They're my favorite ones so I keep them here so that they don't get stored in the garage. The drawers have stuff I like to collect. The bottom drawer is a folder filled with all my stories," she explained.

"You write?" Tori asked, awed. Jade smiled shyly but nodded.

"That's so cool! I wish I could write. I'm a pretty good singer I guess," Tori replied.

"If you sing I'll let you see some of my stories," Jade bargained.

"Ok," Tori agreed. It was a fair trade. Jade liked music so she was interested in just how well Tori could sing. Tori loved to read so she was looking forward to seeing Jade's stories. She sang a song that made Jade smile and compliment her then they sat down next to each other on the rug to look through some of Jade's stories. They talked and laughed and joked, generally having a good time, until Tori had to go. They parted ways but promised to keep in touch. Now that they lived close by it wouldn't be that hard. It was the start of a friendship they hoped lasted as long, or longer, than the ones that kept their parents bound to each other. Their first junior high year passed by, and despite being in separate schools, the two always found time to hang out. Tori liked going over to Jade's house more than having Jade over because Trina would make a fit if she even saw her.

She and Jade never got along because Jade liked picking on Trina, mostly to get back at her for being mean to Tori. Tori also preferred Jade's house because they were able to talk and hang out in the treehouse. There they were themselves without anyone bothering them, besides Jade's mom making sure they had something to eat and drink. Only after they were sure she was inside the house they continued what they had been talking about. The treehouse itself hadn't changed but the inside did, reflecting the girl who owned it as she got older. With age came questions and the two often confided in the other about everything and anything. Their current conversation was one both were highly curious about. Tori was idly looking through the many drawers while Jade lied upside down on the couch which was a tad too small for her now.

"Why do you have so many scissors in here? I mean, is it not enough that you kept a hammer before?" Tori remarked, closing a drawer loaded with scissors of all sizes and colors.

"I liked that hammer and still have it by the way. Now I like scissors and have as many as I can get. Simple as that," Jade answered, falling over to sit upright on the couch.

"Don't change the subject. I want to know what it was you wanted to tell me," she continued. She had always been good at reading Tori effortlessly. Since the day they met she had been able to. There was nothing Tori could hide from Jade so she often just said what she had on her mind since Jade would eventually get the information one way or another. Tori sighed and then turned to face her, walking forward to sit cross legged on the rug in front of Jade.

"I, um, I want to tell you, but…" she began hesitantly.

"You know you can tell me anything Vega," Jade assured her. Tori smiled at the nickname and the sincere way Jade always spoke to her. To others they thought she was blunt, but Tori saw it as pure honesty. Jade wasn't fake. She told it like it was, which could be harsh, but was well meant. Tori knew the difference between when she wanted to cause harm with her words and when she didn't. Often times it was others at the end of her barbs, most of the time said to protect or stick up for Tori who was the soft spoken of the two. Tori felt that Jade was misunderstood by anyone other than her but Jade didn't care. As long as Tori knew what she meant then that was all that mattered.

"I know. I'm just not sure with this," she replied, fiddling with her hands. Jade slid from the couch and mirrored how she sat. She reached over and gripped Tori's hand in her own, their skin contrasting nicely against each other.

"You can be sure about anything with me," Jade stated, voice firm yet gentle. Her presence calmed Tori enough for her to find the courage to continue.

"I think…I think I like…girls," she mumbled, looking Jade in the eyes before bowing her head so that her hair blocked most of her face. The information didn't faze Jade at all and she took it in stride. She would always support Tori just as Tori always supported her.

"You think you do or you know you do?" Jade asked, letting Tori know that she wasn't at all put off by the topic. She herself could admit to thinking a girl was cute or wondering how it would be to have a girlfriend.

"I know," Tori replied, a blush starting to form on her cheeks. Jade laughed and squeezed her hand to comfort her.

"Lighten up. This is me you're talking to. I'm not judging you and I never will. I just want to know one thing," she requested.

"What?" Tori wondered.

"Who's the lucky girl you have a crush on?" Jade asked, her trademark smirk making Tori roll her eyes.

"I'm not telling you!" she stated shrilly. Jade chuckled and released her hand to playfully push her. She teetered a little but stayed upright.

"Come on! Tell me!" she demanded.

"No!" Tori denied, getting up to turn away when Jade jumped at her. Wrestling with Jade was a common occurrence and usually settled whatever disagreement they had. It was that or tickle fights which were also used to cheer each other up. Jade quickly pinned Tori and held her arms crossed on her chest. She was flat on her back with Jade sitting on her.

"Ok, you lost. Now you have to tell me," Jade stated, laughing at Tori's attempts to get free.

"Nooooo," she whined, turning her head away.

"Fine, ruin the fun," Jade sighed, releasing Tori's hands but not moving off her.

"Fun for you, not me," Tori pointed out. Jade rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," she replied.

"Can you get off me now?" Tori inquired. Jade looked down at her to see she looked a little uncomfortable. She made sure she didn't have her full weight on her so she didn't understand the problem until Tori began to blush again. She tried to hide it but Jade saw it clear as day.

"Why? Am I making you nervous or something?" she questioned, bracing her hands on either side of Tori's head to lean in closer, challenging her.

"Yeah, you are actually," Tori replied, glancing at Jade but seeing her too close so she turned her head away so that Jade's piercing gaze didn't ensnare her. Even then she could still feel Jade's eyes on her.

"Have you ever kissed anyone?" Jade suddenly asked, needing to know. Tori's face flared red and she quickly looked at Jade with wide eyes.

"No," she answered, a little flustered. Jade looked relieved.

"Oh, well, I haven't either," she muttered.

"Why do you ask?" Tori questioned, tilting her head curiously. Jade smiled at the expression.

"You really wanna know?" she checked. Tori nodded.

"I thought maybe we could…you know, get it out of the way," she suggested, averting her eyes this time. Tori couldn't really comprehend what Jade was saying, but then she understood.

"You mean…?" she began, only to lose her voice and have to gesture from her best friend to herself. Jade nodded slowly.

"If it's such a big deal we might as well get it done with someone we actually care about, you know? But only if you're ok with it, of course," Jade stuttered, showing an uncertain side of her that was rarely seen. Jade always did things deliberately so it was a little odd but endearing to see her unsure. Tori smiled her encouragement and nodded confirmation.

"Ok," she agreed, feeling a little better now that she knew Jade was just as flustered as her.

"Really?" Jade replied, surprised and a little excited if she was being honest.

"Mhm," Tori said, nodding. Jade scrambled to get off her so she could sit up and then sat close to her. Tori was nervous and hesitant to be the first to do anything so Jade took it upon herself to lean in.

"You sure?" she checked one last time.

"Yeah," Tori's quiet voice answered. Jade made sure to meet Tori's eyes before they closed when she leaned in the rest of the way. Their lips met softly, lingering mere seconds before they pulled away. Silence fell as they both tried to understand the warm feeling they felt.

"That was…good," Jade forced out, still frazzled by the event. Tori could only nod. They caught each other's eyes and then looked away again. Jade cleared her throat before deciding on clearing the air.

"So, um, wanna watch one of those depressing movies you like so much?" she inquired. That was enough to pull Tori out of the awkward situation.

"They are **not** depressing. It's Disney. They make movies for children," she corrected.

"Exactly! Then why are they so damn sadistic?" Jade questioned.

"What do you mean?" Tori asked, not understanding what Jade was getting at.

"Who the hell makes such painfully emotional situations like the ones in those movies? It's supposed to be a **kids **movie for crying out loud!" Jade ranted, her hands moving about dramatically.

"Aww, is Jadey sad the lion daddy died?" Tori joked, remembering when she had seen Jade cry for the first time the day they watched Lion King.

"Shut up, Vega. I'm being serious. They murder feelings! That's not right!" Jade exclaimed.

"Sure, sure," Tori dismissed, knowing Jade didn't like it when she was ignored. She growled and shoved Tori over once more to tickle her. She shrieked with laughter until she almost ran out of air. Only then did Jade let her go. They spent the rest of their time together competing by doing stupid feats. Tori managed to shoot a toy bow and arrow with her feet and Jade followed that with turning the stereo on and off with the small remote clenched between her toes. No one really won that. Tori had to go soon after so they parted with a hug. The topic of who they liked or the gender they preferred didn't really come up again until they were halfway through high school. They both managed to enroll in the prestigious Hollywood Arts together. Now older, Jade and Tori were vastly different from each other but they still got along.

With Jade's new gothic style she scared away anyone who annoyed her or bothered Tori. They gained a new group of friends that were a little slow to warm up to Jade, especially after they witnessed her showing her little 'magic trick' to some guy she wanted to leave her alone. Really, it was a glorified way to flip someone off. She started with a tissue which she inserted in her fist carefully, like there was some special way to do it. The guy watched on as she then blew it out of her fist which now had the middle finger raised. The guy never talked to her again, to Jade's amusement. Not even Tori reprimanding her could remove the smile from her face of a job well done. Even with new friends they mostly hung out with each other like they always had. Little by little they replaced hanging out in the treehouse with lounging in Jade's room. It changed almost as drastically as its owner who sat at her computer desk. Tori was lying across her bed.

"Hey, why don't we go to the treehouse? We haven't been up there in a while," she suggested, looking to do something other than the project they were paired up for.

"Would we even fit?" Jade questioned, spinning around in her chair to face Tori.

"I would. I don't know about you," she answered, her eyes flicking over Jade's chest and hips. She had gotten beautifully curvy while Tori simply filled out. In Jade's opinion, she did get a decent enough behind, not that she was looking. Her voice was amazing, even if Tori insisted it was Jade's voice that was the amazing one. She became a smooth talker, nothing more. It was something that Tori found unfair at times and an advantage Jade used almost all the time.

"Ha, ha, very funny Vega," Jade said with a roll of her eyes.

"Let's go see then," Tori told her, getting off the bed to head for the door. Jade followed after her at a slow pace. They went out back and stopped at the foot of the tree.

"Did these steps get smaller?" Tori questioned, eyeing them critically.

"Hurry up and start climbing so we can get this trip down memory lane over with," Jade snapped impatiently.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Tori pouted. Jade held the scowl on her face a bit longer before allowing a crooked one to replace it.

"It isn't. Now get up there," she said, pointing at the treehouse above. Tori saluted and then clambered up the ladder. Jade climbed up after her. It was still roomy area wise but height wise they hand to hunch over.

"Wow, pretty much the same," Tori pointed out, deciding to sit down so that she didn't have to hunch. Jade nodded in agreement and sat down next to her. Tori eventually laid on her back and clasped her hands on her stomach.

"Jade?" she began, gaining her best friend's attention.

"What's up?" she replied, looking down at Tori.

"Do you remember when I told you I liked girls and we gave each other our first kiss?" she mentioned. Jade smiled but nodded. She remembered that day clearly because it was one of the best days of her life. Since then Jade had kissed many people, both guys and girls. Tori had too, but as far as Jade knew, they were only guys. No matter how many people she had kissed she still ranked Tori's above them all, because although it was simple and not as heated as the later ones, it meant much more to her and was purely them.

"Yeah," she eventually answered, waiting for Tori to continue.

"You asked me who I had a crush on but I wouldn't...couldn't, tell you. I thought about it a lot and I think I can now," Tori went on. Jade raised at brow at that.

"Was it really such a big secret that you couldn't tell me until now? It's just a crush, Vega," Jade teased good-naturedly. When Tori didn't laugh along she became serious.

"Tori?" she inquired, slightly worried at the look Tori was giving her. For once she couldn't place it.

"It was you, Jade. I had a crush on you. I still do," Tori confessed, tone soft with vulnerability. Jade's eyes widened with shock before she schooled her features into one of interest.

"You do? Why didn't you tell me?" she wondered, a little hurt.

"I wanted to but…I was scared," Tori responded, her hands wringing each other and her eyes looking away. Jade placed her hand on them to stop the nervous habit.

"Hopefully not of me. You know I would never hurt you in any way," she stated sincerely, looking to Tori who met her eyes this time.

"I know. It wasn't you I was afraid of. It was everyone else," she muttered. Jade's hand tightened on hers and her jaw clenched, a sure sign of her protectiveness rising.

"You were afraid of what they would say," Jade mumbled. A statement, not at all a question. Tori simply nodded, biting at her lip anxiously.

"Listen, the world has opinions and we just gotta brush 'em off our shoulder, alright? No matter what they think, no matter what they do, don't let it affect you. Their opinion doesn't matter. Just be yourself, and if they don't like it, you still have me. Always," Jade told her, voice steady and threaded with something Tori hadn't heard from her before. One look at Jade and she felt so warm inside. Jade cared about her in a way no one would, and she couldn't be more grateful for her in her life than she already was. She sat up, intertwining one of her hands with Jade's.

"Ok, but Jade, your opinion will always matter to me," Tori remarked.

"I like you just the way you are," Jade said with certainty.

"That's good, because I feel the same way about you," Tori said in return. A genuine smile graced Jade's lips and then she shook her head.

"Such a sappy moment. Only you can bring about them," she teased, nudging Tori's shoulder with her own. Tori laughed but leaned into Jade.

"If it bothered you so much you wouldn't be my friend," she pointed out. Jade untangled their hands to brush back Tori's hair from her face, the other she placed next to her so that she could lean closer to Tori.

"You're right. I like you for you, and I wouldn't change a thing," she assured. Tori smiled, touched at the honesty in Jade's words, before she gasped her surprise. Jade's lips were suddenly on hers and she was finding it incredibly difficult to gather the brain power necessary to respond. Once she managed it though the kiss quickly heated up. Jade deepened it and groaned when Tori complied. It was the first time Tori ever kissed anyone so thoroughly and the first time Jade ever enjoyed kissing someone so thoroughly. She gripped Tori by the front of her shirt to pull her in closer and Tori wrapped her arms around Jade's neck. They parted slowly, their lips finding each other once in a while before stopping completely.

"Does this mean what I hope it does?" Tori panted. Jade chuckled.

"That you're my girlfriend? Yes, it definitely does," she replied. Tori smiled brightly and then brought Jade into another kiss. They fell into it naturally, like it was something they always did. It was like the kiss they had years ago wasn't the only one between them. They spent the rest of the day in each other's arms and recounted the many times one of them thought they had been caught checking the other out, or generally caught showing how they cared for each other more than friends. Telling their parents was an easy thing to do since they were happy for them and had been waiting for them to come to the conclusion they had already arrived at.

Back at school their friends were happy for them. They said it was obvious that they liked each other. The rest of the school was a mix of opinions but none of that mattered to Tori because she kept Jade's words in mind. They were a mental protective shield against anyone who disagreed while Jade herself was a physical one. Together, as always, they got through high school to successfully graduate. After going to college together and landing the jobs they had been working hard towards, Jade's parents offered them the house while they moved into a smaller home they had been wanting.

Jade accepted, and after living with Tori through college, she wanted her to live with her there. They had their good days and bad days, but at the end of the day they were happy. Sometimes they would revisit the treehouse that still stood strong in the backyard, a symbol of their unwavering loyalty and friendship. It was a little harder to fit inside, but after moving all the stuff into the garage, the open space covered with the rug was a good place to spend time lying next to each other in silent peace. The day had been a hard one but they persevered. Now they were curled up on a thick blanket with another draped over them, a large pillow shared between them.

They had lit a candle for light once the sun began to set but Jade blew it out and set it aside in favor of showing Tori just how much she loved her. It wouldn't be the first time they shared a moment there. In fact, it was the second time. The first time was also the first time they ever made love. They both agreed that their bed was way more comfortable, backed by the many times they enjoyed each other after that first time, but the treehouse was a special place for them that kept calling them back. When they were happily exhausted and comfortably warmed by their shared body heat Jade held Tori in her arms and kissed her forehead.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you more," Tori replied.

"I love you most," Jade said, grinning when Tori laughed.

"Hey, no quoting depressing movies," she joked, earning a laugh from Jade.

"Ok, ok," she agreed. Tori squeezed Jade's body to hers and then sighed contentedly.

"Hey, you know what I realized?" Tori spoke up.

"Hmm?" Jade hummed, her hand starting to caress Tori's back softly.

"We pretty much ended up like our parents, you know, by being with our high school sweet hearts," Tori pointed out.

"Yeah, except we aren't married and we don't have kids yet," Jade mentioned. The way she said it made Tori pause.

"Yet?" she repeated. Jade just smiled and then wordlessly reached over to dig in her pants' pocket. When she turned back around she was holding a small black velvet box. She opened it to reveal the diamond studded ring inside.

"Victoria Vega, you've been there for me through thick and thin. It would be stupid of me to let someone as loving and understanding as you go. You know me from the inside out and I trust no one to the extent that I trust you. You are my everything. Will you marry me?" Jade spoke in a voice wavering with emotion. Tears gathered in Tori's eyes and she nodded quickly.

"Yes, Jade. Without a doubt, yes," she confirmed. Jade grinned, wiped at her own tears, and then slipped the ring on Tori's left hand where it belonged. She kissed her palm and then leaned in to kiss Tori.

"Hold off comparing us to our parents until we have our first kid," Jade mumbled against Tori's lips.

"You really want kids?" Tori inquired, imagining how it would be.

"I'd love to raise kids with you, Tori. You'd be a good mom," Jade confirmed.

"You would too," Tori responded, already thinking of sharing their special place only she and Jade had ever been in with another. Maybe even more than one other. Jade scoffed and playfully rolled her eyes.

"What I have to teach them would probably make them little trouble makers," she commented. Tori chuckled and shook her head.

"You're ridiculous, but I love you so much. I can't wait to live the rest of my life with you," she told her best friend, lover, and fiancée.

"I couldn't agree with you more you hopeless romantic," Jade replied, cupping Tori's chin in her warm hand and kissing her soundly on the lips. There was nothing better in life than being with each other. From their early days as kids all the way up until that very moment, they had no regrets when it came to the time they spent together. They had been through so much. Their experiences changed them yet they remained the same to each other. Nothing could ever part them from there on out. They couldn't wait to get started on a new page of their life together.


End file.
